New Beginnings
by MClark083108
Summary: Continuation after Resurrection. Zoey is inducted as the new High Priestess, but what new trials and tribulations await her and her friends?
1. Chapter 1

New Beginnings

I woke up famished. Sometimes it really sucked to be a vampire. Ha-ha, sucked. I know I'm too loopy this evening to be all giggly. I yearned to taste my brown pop and my Count Chocula's again. Now my diet consisted of raw meats and blood. It's not all bad though, I had a new family even including some of my old. I had my friends, my Grandma, my Dad, Stark and Neferet, which I was happy to report, had returned to her old self. Not that she hadn't before hand after we saved her, but now she carried on as if nothing had ever happened. Dad was of much help to that as well. Neferet and him were back together, original lovers. They often reminded me of Romeo and Juliet. Or maybe that was my own twisted thinking about my own relationships.

It's been a hard few weeks since we defeated Kalona. It took me quiet a bit of time to recover from everything that happened. I did have an arrow shot through my heart, died my final death and was resurrected. Resurrected Goddess of Triumph Nyx's called me. Now I am just referred to as High Priestess, though I'm not officially inducted yet. The ceremony is tomorrow night and I had a ton to do before then.

I laid in my bed and looked up at the ceiling just reflecting on all that I had been through the past few months since I had come to the House of Night. I'd lost my mother, but to be perfectly honest, I lost her the moment she married my step-loser. I had lost my old friends, who managed to go behind my back and sleep with my ex-boyfriend, who again, happy to report has not called me in weeks. Yeah to a little less drama in my life. Now if I could get the other boy situation figured out. I had, however, gained a new set of friends who I don't know if I could possibly live without and from all our trials and tribulations we have been through, that was a fact for sure. I gained another mother figure, in not only Neferet again, but also in Lenobia. I had my real Dad back, which I can't even put into words how gratifying that is. To feel for so many years that a piece of you is missing, to not know why he would leave, but to eventually get the answers to all the questions you ever asked yourself as a child.

Then there is Stark and Erik. Just recently I found out that they are biological brothers. Who knew? They do have some similarities, but unless you looked really close, you wouldn't see them. They still avoided each other like the plague. I think in part since neither of them had a good relationship to start with; I have very high hopes that maybe one day that will change. Since my recovery, Erik and I had been talking more. He would come to my room or the Library and we would chat. It was nice to just sit and talk with him again. Though, I do have visions and thoughts of what happened between us. I can't say that I'm all that angry about it though. Erik felt really guilty about what happened to me and why I had to resort to such extreme measures. I don't think it was entirely his fault. I think overall, I would have had to do what I did anyways in the long run.

"Meeooooww" Nala called as she jumped on top of my bed and onto my belly like she owned it. I scratched the top of her head and cuddled her for a bit since she interrupted my internal monologue.

"What's up sweet girl? Maleficent chasing you around again? Show that meanie cat what your made of! You're the chosen High Kitty!" I playfully said to her. It always seemed when I talked to Nala that she could understand me. She then jumped off the bed and scurried out of the bedroom. I can only wonder where she was going until I heard the growls and the patter of feet running at full speed down the hall all the while Aphrodite yelling at Nala and trying to get Maleficent to come back. I couldn't help but to chuckle.

Aphrodite burst into the door, "Your cat is out of control!" she screamed.

I couldn't help but to double over in laughter as I saw what she was holding. Maleficent in one hand that looked like he'd had a very had hair cut from all the bald spots on his body and then Nala who had the most satisfying grin on her face as if she had just won the battle of Troy. "You need to control her Zoey!"

"While I find it hard to control a cat, I can't help but to laugh at just how funny all this is!" I continued to chuckle.

"UGH!" Aphrodite grumbled and stormed down the hall, but not before throwing Nala back onto my bed, which she gracefully landed on all fours then curled up at the bottom of the bed.

"Nala, Nala, Nala. You know it was only a figure of speech when I said for you to teach the meanie cat a lesson!" I chided her. "I didn't mean it literally! Your going to make Aphrodite's hair fall out with stress and you don't want to be around when that happens!" I shook my finger at her.

Nala just yawned and placed her head down on her paws and fell fast asleep. I figured it was time to get up; it was just past 7pm. Neferet had been meeting with me every day at 8:30 to get me ready for my induction to the High Council and to become High Priestess. Since this was my last lesson of sorts, I had better not keep her waiting.

I got off the bed and took a large whiff of the lavender pot that my Grandma had left me. I love the smell of Lavender. It was so calming and refreshing. I decided not to take a shower, but to take a nice hot bath. That might sooth my aching muscles since I had been asleep for several hours more than usual. I stripped off my pajamas and headed into the bathroom where I turned the knob to hot and let the tub fill. I poured in some of my lavender bath petals and let the steam rise. I stepped into the hot water and laid down, relaxing my head on the pillow that I got to put at the end of the tub. I closed my eyes to let myself relax even further, even asking Earth to sooth away my achy joints.

I didn't even realize that I had fallen asleep in the tub until I heard Stark calling my name. I jolted out of the tub and called to him.

"Zoey? I came to bring you something to drink…." He started to say as I whipped out of the bathroom with a towel around my body and scurrying around the drawers trying to find anything to wear.

"Oh no, I'm going to be late!" I chided myself.

"Just calm down, it's ok. You still have 15 minutes, good thing I brought you some blood and wine." Stark handed me the cup and I gulped it all down. I had totally forgotten how hungry I was and the one serving did nothing to stop my hunger pains, it just escalated them.

Throwing modesty shier out the window, I threw my towel off my exposing my naked body to Stark and put on my underwear and then grabbed the first bit of clothing from my drawers, which was a pair of skinny jeans and a black cotton top. I threw my hair up in a pony tail and reached for my socks. I was scrambling. Every second was another I lost and I was certain not to be late again to see Neferet.

"Are you ok Z?" Stark asked. He had sat down on the edge of the bed and bless his heart had turned the other direction when I decided to strip nude for him. "You've been sleeping a lot lately."

"Fine, fine. I don't have time to talk ok. I'm sorry, I really have to get going." I rushed putting on my socks, then shoes and running over to give him a quick peck on the lips. "See you tonight?"

"Yeah" Stark replied less than enthusiastically before he got up and walked very sullenly out of the door. I knew we hadn't spent a lot of time together since I was recovering. He would come and cuddle with me at night, but I was a bit distant.

I grabbed my books and ran out of the dorms waving to Damien, Jack, Shaunee and Erin as I ran past them. I heard half hearted hello's as I past them by. It seems that Stark was not the only person that was being affected by me not getting enough sleep. I would have to make it up to them after the induction. There was just too much to prepare for and study and I wanted to be on top of my game.

I ran across campus and up to Neferet's apartment where she was waiting for me. I had to wipe the sweat from my brow that accumulated from running.

"Zoey! Right on time." Neferet welcomed me in a warm embrace. "This is the last of your instruction before the induction tomorrow." Neferet glowed with pride and it made me feel so happy. I would have given anything for my mom to be proud of me for anything. Getting good grades, not sleeping around with Heath, not drinking or doing drugs. Neferet, at least now that she's been changed back, always showed me she was proud of me, of who I was and who I became. She was the ultimate mother figure I had always wanted my mom to be. I felt a small blood tear start to make its way out of my eye and down my cheek. "Oh Zoeybird, what is the matter?" she asked as she wiped the tear with her thumb.

"Nothing, I'm…I'm just really glad that your happy for me. This is all I ever wanted from my real mom." I looked down to the floor, knowing that I could burst out into tears at any moment.

Neferet grabbed my chin and forced me to look upwards to her. "Zoeybird, while I may not be your maternal mother, I would be honored if you considered me a mother figure. I have always been so proud of you. Even in my darkest of moments, I saw just how brave and special you were. Come, let us talk and be merry." She lead me over to the chairs by her desk. I sat in one and she sat in the other opposite from me.

"Your friends say that you haven't left your room much the past few weeks since what happened. They feel you are pulling away, is there anything you want to talk about?" Neferet asked.

"I've just been really tired. Nothing is wrong, I just seem to want to sleep."

"Have you been feeding regularly? You realize now that you are a vampire, you need to feed on blood on a daily basis until you are older and can go several days without it."

"Actually, I haven't eaten much at all. I just get up, come here, go back to my dorm and go to bed."

Neferet got up and opened a small fridge under the bookcase of her apartment. She handed me a small bag of blood and punctured it with a straw. "Here, drink. This will help keep your energy up. I want you to drink at least two of these a day. When you wake and mid evening. This should insure that you have enough energy to do what you want instead of sleeping all day long."

I took the blood bag from her and began to sip away. It was mighty refreshing. Straight blood was always better than mixed with wine, at least to me. I had my blood lust early and the taste of fresh blood was my favorite. It had a certain sweetness to it. Almost like chocolate, but better.

We went over my studies and we practiced some elemental controls. Neferet finally started to discuss what would happen at the induction to the High Council. "Now Zoeybird, I mean to forewarn you. Entering the High Council is a great honor. It is must like the Dark Daughters. You have rituals and codes that you must follow. Being a High Priestess does not mean that you can go about doing whatever you wish, it means upholding a standard. You are first Vampire, you are second a Priestess. You should always remember that. No matter how much human emotion you have left, you are now a Vampire and will always be until your final death." Neferet's eyes were serious and stern. "At the induction of a new High Priestess, there is an introduction ritual. First, you must chose a consulate, this person you will be bonded to. This person can be male or female. It does not have to be anything sexual, but do keep in mind that generally blood and sex go hand and hand in vampire life. As you may have experienced in the past, which I'm sure you have, when drinking and giving blood, it gives off a pheromone of ecstasy. It is pleasurable for us. So, if you are not partial to women in the sexual way, it may not be favorable. However, your consulate must be someone you can always confide in, no matter what. They are someone you can tell your darkest and most intimate secrets to.

"Second and I believe this may be a ritual that would be difficult for you, you will have to feed on a living human." Neferet paused to gauge my reaction, which I'm sure was something like Tim Allen on Home Improvement when he does that "Huh?" sound.

"What do you mean I have to feed on a living human?" I asked.

"Meaning, there will be a human, who has willingly given him or herself of use to us for ceremonial uses. It is a rite of passage as a vampire as we have always fed among the humans. They are our source of food and have been for centuries."

"I don't have to kill anyone do I?" I asked a little more nervously.

Neferet laughed, "Oh Goddess no Zoey. You will not have to kill anyone. You just have to feed from them. It is for a vampire to know when they are satisfied and it is the responsibility of the High Priestess to show newly turned fledglings the restraint from draining a human dry."

"What if I don't have that restraint?"

"Zoey, I doubt, very highly that you will not be able to restrain yourself. You have before. This is not a new thing to you as much as I had tried to steer you from it." Neferet looked at me with an eyebrow arched. "Lastly, the end of the ceremony is the binding of the blood. Since you were specifically chosen by Nyx herself, giving yourself to her is the last binding agreement to becoming High Priestess. You will be presented a knife to which your wrist will be cut. Your blood will be drained into a goblet which will be shared among the High Council. The rest will be given to Nyx."

"That doesn't seem so bad." I said dryly.

"It's not, I just know if I did not go over it with you first then you might be a little peeved at me later." Neferet winked. "Now, study is over, remember to drink another bag mid evening" as she tossed me another bag, "and please, spend some time with your friends, they are most urgently wanting to speak with you."

Neferet pushed me out of the door and I started my way towards the dorms again. I had a lightness in my stomach, I was excited and nervous all at the same time. Who would the human be, who would I chose as my partner? That was going to be tricky and guaranteed to make someone very mad or jealous depending on who I chose. I would have to think long and hard about it. I decided the best thing to do was go hang with the gang and talk to them about it. Keeping secrets was no way to continue a friendship and I figured that would be better than making a decision and telling them later.


	2. Chapter 2

"So look who decided to come out of her cave" sassed Shaunee.

"Yeah, right on Twin. Where have you been Z?" Erin asked.

I sat down on the couch next to Stevie Rae and let myself sink into the soft cushions. I would have to tell them that I'd only been sleeping, but would they really believe that?

"I'm sorry guys, I didn't mean to seem like I was avoiding you, I've just…been really tired lately."

"Not tired enough to talk to Erik or Stark, but tired enough to avoid your prefect? What's going on Zoey?" Shaunee snapped.

"Hey, I see them because they come to my room, or they happen to be somewhere that Neferet sends me. It's not like you guys come to see what I'm doing or visit either" It was probably a low blow, but I said it anyways.

"Look y'all, just leave Zoey alone. So she's been tired. She's been through a lot recently. I'm sure you would too Shaunee if you had your boyfriend shoot you through the heart and you died for a minute!" Stevie Rae, bless her heart stood up to defend me. "Come on you guys. We're all friends; do you think she would lie to you?"

Shaunee looked at Erin and they both rolled their eyes and said in unison, "Ok, sorry!" while crossing their arms with a small huff.

"So Z, why have you been so fatigued?" Damien asked.

"Fat? Zoey's not fat!" Shaunee blurted out.

"For Goddess sake you nit wit, fatigued! Meaning tired. I swear, neither of you Dorkamiese Twins have a brain in those heads!" Aphrodite interrupted as she sat down in the chair by the Twins.

"Whatever Hag" Erin spit out.

Aphrodite replied by simply sticking her tongue out at the Twins which they turned their nose up to.

I put up my hands, "Ok, ok! Just stop, please!" I yelled at them all. "I don't know why I've been so tired. Neferet thinks because I'm not feeding like I should. It just seems that no matter how much I sleep, I'm still tired. And I've rarely seen Stark so don't even go there Shaunee. I know he's upset with me to as we have had little to no time together the past few weeks. As far as Erik, I've only talked to him a handful of times and mostly because he's come to my room to check how I was doing and to apologise to me. Ok, satisfied? I'm really tired of you all bickering! I can't pick a consulate if you all are going to nit pick every single second of the night together!"

"Sorry Z" said the Twins.

"You know I am" Aphrodite brushed it aside.

"Consulate? For when you are inducted as High Priestess tomorrow?" Damien said.

"Yes, I have to pick someone to be bonded to. I suppose it's a blood bond from what Neferet is making it sound like, but she said it didn't have to be sexual."

"Well, a consulate is the most trusted advisor to the High Priestess. She can tell her most inner secrets to them and they are sworn by oath not to divulge those secrets ever. It's a very respectable thing to be a High Priestess's consulate." Damien added.

"I know…" I trailed off looking a bit glum.

Jack touched my knee, "Hey Z, its ok. I know it seems like a tough decision, but I'm sure we'll all understand when you make your choice."

You couldn't ever be mad at Jack. He was such a sweet boy and no wonder Damien loved him. Damien and Jack are a couple, as in a gay couple, an no, we don't have a problem with that here.

"See, I was kind of hoping to talk to you all about it. I don't want to make anyone feel left out, angry or jealous, considering that I trust every one of you and consider you all my very best of friends. I don't know who to pick."

"I'll go ahead and vote myself out" Shaunee said.

"Me too." Said Erin, "Shaunee and I can't be separated anyways. It would be terrible to not be able to confide in each other, therefore really unfair to you Z"

"Thanks Twins. That's very…unselfish of you." I said giving them both a smile. That was a relief because I was sure they were going to be the ones to put up the most fight.

"I'm out too, I can't not tell my Jack-e-bear anything" Damien replied as he gave Jack a sweet but gentle kiss on the hand that he held.

"I'll have to agree with my Damien" Jack blushed.

"Well, that leaves Stevie Rae, Aphrodite or I could always chose Stark or Erik" I said slyly.

"Speak of the devil himself" Aphrodite muttered as I turned around to see Erik walking into the dorms, and just as gorgeous as he always was.

"Hey, you're out of bed, I thought I might come over and see how you were doing." Erik blasted his cool smile with his brilliant white teeth. His always beautiful blue eyes were like daggers into my soul.

"I'm fine. I've fed, as instructed by Neferet. Come, sit and talk with us" I invited him. None of the rest of the group was all too pleased after all we had been through but I felt he deserved a second chance. Just like Neferet had changed, so can anyone. As Nyx always tried to teach us in her writings, we are all children of the night, we are all her children and she chose each and every one of us for a reason and a purpose. If Nyx still believed in him, why shouldn't I? I felt my spirit leap at my revelation and I knew I hit a note that was right. Very High Priestess's of me.

"So back to our discussion…" Aphrodite interrupted.

"What are you all talking about?" Erik asked.

Everyone just kind of looked at each other not knowing what to say. I rolled my eyes and answered Erik, "We're discussing who my consulate should be when I am inducted tomorrow. I was told I need to take one."

"Ahh, well, if you prefer for me to go, then I can leave"

Erik started to stand, "No!" I said and Erik sat back down. I could feel Nyx pulling me in a direction I wasn't sure which way. I could feel in this group that here laid my consulate. I hadn't felt this pull until Erik came. Was Nyx advising me to make Erik my consulate? But could I trust Erik? What would that do to my relationship with Stark?

"I think you should ask Nyx what to do Z" Stevie Rae spoke up. "She had never failed you yet. She's always shown you the right way."

I smiled knowing that Stevie Rae was 100 percent correct. I decided to take it a step further. "Let's cast a circle" I said and rose to my feet.

Everyone got in their position and granted we had no candles, we wouldn't need them. "I want you all to focus on your element. Since we won't be using candles, you need to really concentrate on the energy."

I started with Damien as always taking his hands in mine and closed my eyes, "Air, you purify and fill us with life, come to us" I felt the swift breeze blow around us, even stronger than it was before. I opened my eyes and smiled at Damien as I turned to Shaunee.

"Fire, you burn away impurities and warm our backs, come to us" Shaunee grinned as the fire rose from our hands and filled the dorm with warmth. I smiled at her and turned to Erin.

"Water, you refresh us and cleanse all the bad away, come to us" Erin giggled as the water lapped on her feet.

Last I turned to Stevie Rae and took her hands within mine, "Earth, mother of all beings, you shelter us and guard us, come" The ground shook and once it settled you could smell the fresh grass and flowers and even birds singing.

When I was sure of our silver lining around the circle I proceeded to the middle and called to Spirit, "Spirit, you are our being, without you we are nothing but a hollow shell, come to us" I felt Spirit fill me and everyone else in the room as we all gasped when our hearts leaped.

I closed my eyes, lifted my hands up to the sky and said a prayer to Nyx, "Nyx, blessed Goddess of Night, hear me. I ask for your guidance and wisdom. Show me the path of righteousness and truth and let me not be blind to your will"

I ended the prayer and then proceeded to close the circle. I thanked everyone for their patience and told them all that maybe Nyx would give me a sign and I would follow what she would tell me, regardless of what people would think about my decision. I asked them all not to be angry about whatever the outcome is, for I was unknown to it myself. Everyone left to go get ready for dinner except for Erik who stayed behind.

"Hey" he said grabbing my hand, "Can we talk?"

I turned towards him and looked up into his beautiful eyes, "Sure, let's go back to my room and we can talk in private."

Erik nodded and followed me down the hall. He shut the door behind him and kept his back on the door as I walked over and plopped on my bed, disturbing Nala from her nap.

"What's up?" I asked.

"Zoey…" he started with his eyes cast down, "I can't tell you how many times it haunts me at night what I've done to you. I've asked Nyx a million times to take away the pain, but it still remains."

My face went from somewhat happy to glum as I got off my bed and walked towards Erik and put my arms around him to give him a big hug. I was shocked that he didn't return the embrace. I looked up at him, "Erik, it's ok. I forgive you, just as you forgave me for some awful stuff that I've done to you. We can't go back in time, we can't change what we did, but we can change who we are now and what we will be in the future. Everyone deserves a second chance."

Erik touched my hair and brought it to his nose, "I miss you. I miss your touch, your smell" he bent down and kissed me lightly on the lips, "Your taste"

I couldn't help it, but I returned the kiss. There is just something magical about Erik. I knew I was bonded to Stark, I loved him even, but maybe I loved Erik too no matter how much hurt I had been through. He was still good and Nyx even said we were made for each other. That thought sparked a light bulb in my head. I pushed away from Erik and looked away from him.

"Z? What's wrong?" he asked.

"You" I looked at him straight in the eyes, "You-u were made for me" I managed to stutter out. "Nyx, she said so." I looked away as in deep thought coming to a revelation. I felt my spirit leap and I knew that I was on the correct path. Nyx would not steer me wrong.

Erik walked closer to me and put his arms around my waist and kissed me passionately, which I hated to admit that I returned once again. I know, shame on me. Gosh I feel like a hoe sometimes, but I can't help the way that Nyx drives me towards people. I have a connection with both Stark and Erik. But they were brothers, now I was getting just a tad grossed out and pulled away even more.

"Z, you know we were meant for each other, why do you keep denying it? Why do you pull away?" Erik's eyes were those of worry.

"Because I'm bonded with your brother, that's why. This is wrong, but yet it feels right. This isn't fair to him, or you." I cried.

"Then chose"

"I can't choose between you both. You both are special to me, I feel for both of you, but I can't treat you both like this."

"Treat us both like what?" interrupted Stark as he opened the door shocked and surprised to see Erik in my room and hovering over me. "What's going on in here?"

"I was just leaving" Erik said as he turned away from me and brushed past Stark, but not before knocking him into the door on his way out.

"What's going on Zoey? Why was Erik in your room? Is something going on that I should know about?" he asked.

"Come, sit, we need to talk" was all I could say, all I wanted to say at that moment.


	3. Chapter 3

"But Zoey, we're bonded!" Stark yelled at me as he rose from the bed in a fit. "What kind of mind games are you playing here? First you're bonded to a human of all things, you cheat on Erik with Loren from what I heard, you created a bond with him, and then you created a bond with me because you caught him with Stevie Rae. What are you? A whore?"

The last bit really did sting. I couldn't help but to start to tear up, but I knew that this is what was expected. I was a whore. I was just as much a hag as Aphrodite was before she met Darius, now I envied her and the fact she could latch onto one guy. I had always thought that I was a hoe in my mind, but I had never been called it to my face. "I'm sorry" was all I could think to say.

"Is that all you have to say for yourself? I'm sorry? Come on Zoey. I thought we had a connection, are you not telling me something?" Stark searched for any last bit of resolve in my face.

"I don't know what to say. I do love you. I really do. I just think that I've always had feelings for Erik and we just didn't have time to resolve those feelings, so they are still there. Plus, I feel a connection to him that I don't feel with anyone else, not even you."

"Fine. Well, you can go run back to him. Don't expect me to like it or approve of it. I will fight for you because you're our High Priestess, but us, this you and me, is no more. I can't do this Zoey. You can't play with my emotions. You can't toy with people!" Stark yelled at me before he turned to walk out the door.

"Stark! No, wait!" I yelled after him. "Please don't go!"

"No, there is no more to say, you've said what you wanted and now I'm leaving." His eyes were cold as he slammed the door shut.

I have to admit it, I deserved his rash reaction. I couldn't help but to feel sad and upset by it though. I really did love Stark. There were lots to love about him. He was sweet, loving, and gentle. He was always there for me, he brought me food when he felt I wasn't feeding enough and he was always slow with me when we were intimate. Thinking about his kisses made me smile. However, I knew in my heart that no matter how close we were, no matter how much I really did feel that we might be soul mates, he wasn't the person I was chosen to be with and Nyx told me that. I was blind to her will and now she was pulling me back towards it.

"Knock, Knock!" Stevie Rae said as she poked her head into my room. "Everything ok?"

"I just broke it off with Stark" I said very glumly.

"Oh, my dear sweet lord. You alright?" she asked as she sat on the bed with me putting her arm around my shoulders to comfort me.

"I don't know. I thought it was the right thing to do. Now I just feel miserable and like a whore." I dropped my head as tears began to flow out.

"Oh Z, your not a whore. So you have a little bit of boy drama. Who cares? We all go through it. Sometimes, we need to make mistakes in order to see how to make it right." Stevie Rae smiled as she kissed my temple. "It will be ok. You've got all of us; you're the new High Priestess! Now, let's get you cleaned up and ready for dinner. You need to feed anyways."

I shrugged my shoulders and got off the bed to head into the bathroom in order to clean up. I looked at myself in the mirror and thought of what I had just done. Did I really make the right decision? I was able to tell Stark everything. Was it a mistake breaking things off with him? I felt my stomach gurgle, which I wasn't sure was the fact I was hungry or if it was Nyx telling me something. I looked at the marks on my face, which were framing from my brow down to the middle of my cheeks in lace patterns. The patterned repeated down my neck and through my back twisting around my arms and legs like vines on a tree. I was covered. There was no mistaking that I was chosen by Nyx for something great. Does a High Priestess make so many mistakes when it comes to her personal life? I just didn't know.

I huffed, splashed some cold water on my face and dried it off with a small hand towel before I met Stevie Rae back in the bedroom to head to the dining hall.

"Cheer up doll. Everything will be ok" Stevie Rae said as she linked her arm in mine and we walked out of the dorms only to meet with Stark as he seemed to be walking back towards them.

"Hey Stevie Rae" he said first then looking to me. "I'm sorry Z. I said some harsh words and I'm sorry."

I couldn't even bare to look at him. Not that I was angry with him, for he had every right to be mad at me, I was ashamed. "It's ok" I muttered shuffling my feet on the ground. "I understand why you're upset and you have every reason to be."

Stark stepped closer to me and I looked up into his puppy dog brown eyes as he held my face in his hands. "Zoey, I love you. I will always love you, even if that means taking a back seat to my brother." He softly kissed me on the lips and turned and walked away.

"See, I told you all would be alright." Stevie Rae nudged me.

"Yeah, but it doesn't make me any less a whore that these guys want to be with me and I can't decide who. I guess when I think about it, I'm more like my mom than I really anticipated."

"How so?" Stevie Rae asked as we continued through the courtyard.

"I wouldn't say that my mom necessarily loved my step-loser when she married him. She liked the comfort in knowing someone would take care of her, be good to her, regardless how he treated her children. When my Dad left, my mom went from boyfriend to boyfriend to boyfriend. She's never been alone in her life. I guess I can say the same about myself. I've always been with someone, never just on my own."

"Well, maybe that's not such a bad thing. You may not know what you want, but Nyx does." Stevie Rae smiled at me. Her flower patterned markings framed her face and made her smile that much brighter.

When we got to the dining hall we went right over to sit with the rest of the group who was unusually quiet. "What's up? Why all the glum faces?" I looked around to see everyone but Jack. "Where's Jack at? I wanted to talk to him about the induction tomorrow."

Damien burst out into tears and put his head on his arms which were crossed over on the table. I went immediately over to him, "Damien, what's wrong? Did something happen to Jack?"

Damien just sobbed after sob. Shaunee and Erin spoke up in very low voices, "He's afraid that Jack's rejecting the change. Jack fell ill a little bit ago. Neferet is tending to him, but she said it doesn't look good."

"Oh no! No, not Jack!" I said. "Wait, have you seen Erik? He might be able to help."

"I don't see how other than ruining other plans or people's lives" Shaunee countered.

"If you remember correctly, Nyx gave him a gift of healing. He might be able to help Jack." I snapped back at her.

I got up and looked around the dining hall to see Erik talking with Dragon just outside of the Professor's Lounge. I ran to him yelling his name, not caring that I was alerting just about the entire school.

"Erik! Come quickly!" I said hastily.

"Z, what's the matter?" Erik asked me worriedly. "Did something happen?"

"It's Jack."

"Where is he?"

"With Neferet. Probably in the infirmary. You have to help him. They are afraid he is rejecting the change."

"Ok, take me to him and I'll see what I can do" Erik grabbed my hand and lead me out of the doors of the dining hall. Damien managed to get up off his arms and followed us out in hopes that we might be able to save the boy that he loved.

We ran as fast as we could to the infirmary, which we were pretty sure is where Neferet had taken Jack. This wasn't the first time that Jack was in danger, for her started to reject the change in the tunnels just a few months ago. My heart ached for Damien and I silently sent Spirit to him. When we reached the door to the infirmary Damien stopped dead in his tracks and just stared at the door.

"I don't know if I can go in there Z."

"Sure you can Damien, Jack needs you" I said trying to comfort him.

"I don't know if I can watch him die" Damien started to cry again.

"If I can do anything about that, you won't have to." Remarked Erik who was opening the door and ushering us through.

Inside was Neferet hovering over Jack who looked to be fast asleep. "Is he ok?" I asked.

"Zoey! No, I'm afraid he is not. He is rejecting the change. I don't know if I can do much else for him other than to make him comfortable." Neferet replied.

I felt Damien's hand clenching to my arm. "Can I stay with him?" he asked.

"Normally I wouldn't, but I'll make the exception this once." Neferet told him. "Here, keep this warm compress on his forehead, it seems to be easing the pain little by little for him.

Damien did as instructed and took a very deep breath as he approached Jack. He stroked his cheek with the back of his fingers and brushed the hair from his face then slowly bent down to give him one last kiss on his lips as he whispered into his ear. Damien held the compress to Jack's head and held Jack's hand at the same time. I felt so bad for Damien as he was so close to Jack. I hated that this was happening just as we were all about to be inducted to the High Council.

Neferet walked up to Erik and smiled then looked down to meet and took my hand, "Let's talk"

"Neferet?" Erik interrupted. "I might be able to help him, while you are away with Zoey, if you do not mind, I would like to try."

"You may, but I'm not sure how much good it will do. He has lost much blood after I brought him here and he is almost gone." Neferet said turning towards Erik but keeping a low voice to keep from disturbing Damien. "If it does not work, please be mindful of a hurting lover by his side."

Erik nodded and went to stand next to Damien by Jack's side. Neferet ushered me out of the infirmary and shut the door behind us. "Zoey, I know this must be very difficult for you as I know you and your friends were very close to Jack. He was a smart, joyful young lad who always managed to brighten all our spirits."

"I just don't understand Neferet, he was fine when I saw him just an hour or so before. I didn't see any distress. I didn't feel anything"

"Sometimes the rejection is so sudden that there are no symptoms or signs that can be seen until it is too late. He was brought to me early enough that I hoped I could help, but once we reached the infirmary, he was spewing blood everywhere. Once he stopped I placed him in a deep slumber so that he could rest and find peace with Nyx. I don't believe there is anything else we can do for him. I'm sorry" Neferet pulled me into her arms and held me in a tight embrace as I shed a small tear for Jack. "Terrible things happen to sometimes the best people Zoey. As High Priestess you will have to see and attend to those things."

I nodded acknowledging what she was telling me. It was true, sometimes the best people often died with little to no warning. Sister Mary from the Abby has befallen by the Raven Mockers when she tried to get Grandma out of the Hospital. Bless her heart she was a good woman, but she had achieved her calling. Life isn't fair, and especially not any different being a Vampire opposed to a Human. That is what I knew now.

I turned to go back inside to find Damien huddled in the corner crying as Erik was pulling the sheet over Jack's lifeless body. "My you find greener fields and happiness with Nyx brother." Erik said the sheet fell over Jack's once animated and joyful face. I couldn't help but to feel so overwhelmingly sad. I rushed to Damien and wrapped my arms around him and asked Spirit for a little extra comfort.

"Why! Why Jack? Why does the Goddess punish me!" Damien cried.

"Oh Damien, Nyx isn't punishing you. She is showing you strength." I hugged him tighter and remembered the words that Neferet had told me, "Sometimes, good people are taken away from us with little or no warning. Bad things happen to good people all the time, and we can't hold ourselves any higher than that just because we are Vampires."

Damien cried and cried on me until there was no more blood left to shed. His body became weak and limp from his loss of blood to the point Erik had to help me stand him up. I went to fridge and got out a pouch of blood and punctured it with a straw for Damien to drink. She smacked my hand away, "Leave me" he said.

"You need your strength Damien" I told him urging him to take the pouch.

"I am no longer thirsty." His eyes averted from both Erik and I. I looked up at Erik who shrugged his shoulders and turned to walk out of the infirmary. I wasn't going to leave Damien so soon.

I crouched down on my knees and held Damien's face up so he would look at me. "You listen to me, as not only your High Priestess, but your friend Damien Maslin. I'm sorry for what happened to Jack. I really am. I wouldn't have wished it on anyone, especially not him. But you know good and well those things like this happen. Sometimes its unexpected and other times, it's not. We just can't know for sure if someone will accept the change or not."

"Can your Dad bring him back like he brought me back?" Damien's eyes looked hopeful.

I hated to bring him down. My Dad had left for Europe for a conference with the Vampire Coven in Italy. He wouldn't be back for months. "I'm sorry, he's gone. He won't be back for months from now and that's just too long to wait."

I held Damien tight in my arms until he was finished crying. As students in the House of Night, we are taught that death is a very normal occurrence. We are, by nature death. To grieve for those who were lost, should be minimal. I find that hard to do when you lose someone as close as Damien was to Jack. I remember how hard I took it when I thought I lost Stevie Rae. I could sympathize with him.

"Can I have a minute alone with him?" Damien asked.

"Sure, you want me to wait outside?"

"No, go ahead and go, I'll meet you guys at the dorms later" Damien stood and looked over towards Jack's body.

"Damien" I said as he turned his head towards me, "I'm really sorry. If you need anything, just come get me. I'm always here for you"

"Thanks Zoey"

I slowly walked out of the infirmary leaving Damien with his lifeless love only to meet up with Erik who was waiting for me outside. He smiled and took my hand and we walked together back to the dorms. Where this was going, I haven't a clue, but this time, I'm going to let Nyx decide what path I should be on.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: I know there are alot of Erik fans and alot of Stark fans. I haven't decided who she should end up with yet. As you recall in the books, Zoey goes back and forth with her boy drama and who she wants to be with herself. Not even P.C or Kristin Cast know who she will end up with. I like to right what I'm feeling at the moment and I let it just flow out of me, I don't plan too much ahead of time, I just write in the moment as if I'm actually there. Please be patient.

I know many are disappointed about Jack, but I'm not making that the end of him. So don't worry! In a way, losing him is a good stepping stone for Zoey and for her friends, as losing someone close to them will help them in the long run with being on the High Council and the people they may lose later. Thank you for the kind responses and reviews and keep reading!

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Erik and I walked back to the dorms hand in hand but not saying much to each other. I could catch myself looking at him from time to time and every so often I would catch him looking back at me and smiling. I missed him dearly. My heart leapt when I thought of him and us together. Maybe this was what Nyx wanted.

"Erik" I began. He stopped and turned to look at me. "I broke things off with Stark"

"I know" he said as he leaned down and kissed me softly on the lips. How his lips I missed. They tasted so sweet.

I pulled away, "How did you know?"

"He came and told me that you were all mine, that you left him for me anyways." Erik cocked a grin.

"Hold on, I broke things off because I'm tired of playing with people. I'm not sure what I want. Things have been too confusing lately, but I want to get one thing straight with you, I love Stark and he loves me. We'll always love each other, even if it's not in a romantic kind of way." I concluded and walked around him in a huff.

"Hey, I understand" Erik said as he pulled my hand from behind. "I'm sorry. I came off a little too strong. I want us to start over. Can we start over?"

"I don't know if I want to do that just yet. Can we just be friends right now?"

"There's too much unfinished business for us to just be friends Zoey. You know that or you wouldn't have dumped James."

I averted my eyes away from his, I knew he was right. Erik and I couldn't simply just be friends. We were together or we weren't. Those times we weren't, were not pleasant times either. "I just don't want to jump in head strong to find out I've made another mistake. I want Nyx to guide me to the right choice; I don't want to rush it on my own."

"Very sagacious choice" Damien's voice came from behind us.

"Well thank you Damien, I like to think I make smart choices myself, though I will admit I have made some, how would you say it, asinine choices in the past."

Damien laughed and put his arm around my shoulders and around Erik's. "Spot on High Priestess"

"You seem better?" I asked.

"You know, I asked Nyx for guidance when you left me and I heard her speak to me. Jack was a means for me to learn to love someone freely. That was his purpose. And for me to finally show my true self to my parents. I had called them the other day to tell them I was gay and my friend Jack they had met was actually my boyfriend. Surprisingly, they took it well, as if they expected it already." Damien smirked. "Death does not mean an end to all things; it can mean a new beginning."

"Now that is a sagacious remark!" Erik said. "Things will be fine Damien, and soon, maybe, you'll find someone else to love, just like everyone does. Life goes on and so shall we."

The three of us walked back to the dorms and met with Shaunee and Erin who were sitting with each other on the couch watching American's Next Top Model reruns and blowing there nose with probably the hundredth tissue from the box of Kleenex that was on the table. "Is he ok?" asked Erin.

Damien just shook his head and the Twins began to sob once again. Damien went to them and consoled them as they all cried together. Stevie Rae got up and gave me a big hug, "I'm going to retire for the evening. Don't do anything I wouldn't do!" she said as she whispered in my ear.

I just smiled, "That's not a whole lot"

"I know!" she said as she waved good bye.

I walked past the group and up to my room, too glum and depressed to talk to anyone. I didn't even notice that Erik had silently followed me. Honestly, I didn't even care. He shut the door behind him and I flopped down on my bed smoothing my face into my pillow. "Why, why, why?" I kept saying over and over to myself.

I felt Erik's weight come down on the edge of the bed as he rubbed my back, "We don't ever know why Zoey. Fledglings just die sometimes for unknown reasons. Who knows why Jack's body rejected the change."

I turned over and propped myself up on my elbows. "But he was fine. FINE when I saw them earlier. Wouldn't he show some signs?" I could feel myself becoming increasingly angry.

"Not necessarily. Just like Neferet said, some just up and go, and they seem fine just seconds before hand."

"You don't think he'll come back as a red fledgling do you?" I pondered. It was a possibility.

"I think that's a bit far fetched. Anyways, Neferet created the red fledglings." Erik explained.

"So she could change Jack then?"

"Zoey, listen to yourself, you want to have Neferet create a red fledgling out of Jack? That preposterous."

Erik and I continued to bicker back and forth about the events of the day when the door flew open and Stark came running in and enveloped me in his arms. "Zoey, I just heard" he squeezed me tighter. I fell into his embrace and started to cry once again. It wasn't just me that needed comfort either, it was Damien. "Are you ok? I heard you guys were at the infirmary, but by the time I got there, you must have already left."

"Thanks, we're ok. Damien is taking it a bit rough though." I said.

"What about Duchess? Does Damien have her?" Stark asked. Duchess was originally Starks yellow lab, before he died and became a red fledgling. Jack had taken the large dog under his wing and they were much attached.

"I'm not sure, probably in Jack's room I suppose" I said.

"Do you want me to stay?" Stark asked looking at Erik who looked pissed off that Stark even invaded.

"Why don't you check on Duchess and then you can come back ok?" I told him hoping he would get the hint.

"Ahh, sure, I'll be back in about an hour is that ok?"

"That's fine."

Once Stark left the room Erik breathed a bit easier. I thought he was going to try and kill Stark with his glare. These boys really did need to learn to get along. "What's with you and him anyways?" I asked.

I guess I caught Erik off guard because he definitely wasn't expecting my question, "Ugh, what?"

"You and Stark, your brothers, why don't you get along? Or the real question, why can't you?"

"It's a complicated story. To make it short, we just never got along. When I was marked, I came here and changed my name in hopes that I could leave my past behind, it seems it only followed me here."

"Maybe this is Nyx's way of telling you that you should make amends?" I added only to feel my spirit leap. I was sure I was on the right track with that question.

"I don't see how that is going to happen Z. We are nothing alike, we've never liked each other, and we never will. And even more now that we're both fighting over you." Erik said as he leaned in closer to me.

I pushed him away, "Hey, I'm serious. I think maybe that Nyx placed Stark in the position to come here in order for you two to make amends. Nyx has a very mysterious way to guiding us on the right paths."

"True, but this is one confusing one here. What are we going to do?" Erik asked pointing to both him and I.

"That's a subject that I've been trying to drum into your thick skull." I walked over and sat on the bed and patted the mattress beside me inviting him to sit. "Look, I know you think that just because I broke things off with Stark that I'll automatically come right back to you. That isn't how it's going to work this time. I want some time to myself for a bit. I have too much on my plate to worry about boy drama. I'm done with it. I admit that I was young and stupid in the past, but if I am going to be the High Priestess, I need to learn to stand on my own two feet without you or Stark bickering back and forth and being mad at me because I chose one over the other."

Erik nodded his head, "I agree and I see your point that you're trying to make. But please Zoey. I...I love you. I just can't be just friends. I know we're connected Z. We've always been connected. I know I acted like an ass and I want to make up for it. Please let me make up for it."

"Then make up for it by making up with your brother. That would show me more than anything else that you've grown up."

"Is that what you really want?" Erik asked arching his eyebrow.

"Yes. I would feel much better if you two made friends and at least acted brotherly towards each other. I'm not saying you have to be buddy, buddy all the time, but at least be able to tolerate each other in the same room."

"If that's what my High Priestess wants, that is what I shall do."

"Thank you" I said as I kissed him on the cheek. "That is very big of you, now go, I have to do some thinking before tomorrow."

Erik gave me a hug and walked out of the door, not before sending me one last blow kiss on his way out. Boys, I just shook my head. What will I do with them? I was so confused about my feelings towards them both. I loved Stark dearly, but I also loved Erik. Stark I felt he was like my soul mate, I could tell him anything, but Erik, I felt a different kind of connection to. It's a connection that Nyx had told me and him about, which we were made for each other, to be together. Be together how though? That is the part that I needed to figure out. Maybe this break is well deserved and will be very good for me. I don't think it would be wise to have a High Priestess that is supposed to help guide fledglings to the right decisions that only makes bad ones when it comes to her love life. I needed to talk to someone with multiple boy experience.

I walked out of my room and down the hall to Aphrodite's room and knocked on her door. She answered the door with a towel around her body and her hair wrapped in a turbine. "Well, don't just stand there, come in!" she yanked me into the room. "Geesh, you think I want people to see me fresh out of the shower without even my face on yet!"

I just laughed at her and how vain she could be. "I need your advice"

"You want MY advice huh? Well that's rich. What can I help you with High Priestess Zoey?" Aphrodite said in a very mocking manner.

"How do you chose which man is the right one for you? How do you know? What if you love both of them but can't choose?"

Aphrodite rolled her eyes, "Let me guess, you've broken it off with Stark because now Erik has changed and you remember the sweet, gentle Erik that you used to be with. You love Erik but you also love Stark. Well hunny, sorry to tell you this, but I can't help you chose which one."

I huffed not knowing what to say. I was so confused and just needed someone's advice on what to do. "I didn't want to break things off with Stark; I just didn't want to be unfair to him when I still had feelings for Erik."

"Well, that's a wise choice if I ever heard one. At least you have the balls to tell him that." Aphrodite walked towards her mirror and started applying her moisturizer to her face and neck before patting herself with perfumed powder.

I flopped down on her overstuffed bed with my arms stretched out, looking up into her canopy, "I don't know what to do. I want to be with them both, but I know I can't"

Aphrodite turned around in her chair to look at me, "Ok, I'm not the best person to talk to about keeping a boyfriend, but I can tell you that when you find that special guy, he's all you can think about. He's the only person on your mind. You dream about being with him, you feel special when you are with him. He never puts you down and always cheers you up. That's why I'm hopelessly in love with Darius. He's all of those things. As much as I might have loved Erik at one point, I know now that he wasn't for me. And honestly Zoey, I don't know if he's right for you either."

I took what Aphrodite said to heart, because no matter how much of a witch she could act like in public, she was actually very insightful in private, I could tell Aphrodite just about anything and she knew all my secrets. A light bulb went off in my head, my consulate. Aphrodite. I guess my eyes showed my revelation because Aphrodite perked up and came over to the bed to sit next to me.

"Aphrodite!" I exclaimed.

"Umm, yeah, I'm right here, you don't have to yell."

"You're my consulate!" I said excitedly.

"What?" she asked shocked.

"My consulate. The High Priestess's advisor."

"I know what a consulate is dumbass."

"I come to you for advice all the time! You know all my secrets, you've known all along! I can't believe I never put it all together until right now. You've been my consulate since day one."

"You want mu' ah to be your consulate? Why Zoey, what ever do I say?"

"Thank you would be enough"

"Ha! I don't even thank my maids for cleaning my room. I just do my job and give you what you ask for. No thanks are necessary."

I rolled my eyes, typical difficult Aphrodite who wants to put on her mean girl face. But I knew deep inside she wasn't. She leaned in close to me and whispered in my ear, "Thank you!" I smiled knowing I was right all along. I turned and gave her a huge hug, which she didn't appreciate by any means. Aphrodite would prefer we never acted like we were friends, and now her becoming my consulate, she'll have to get over that.

"So about this boy problem…" she continued.

"I guess I'll just figure it out. Stark is coming over in a little bit, I should probably head back to my room." I rose to leave. "Aphrodite?"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you"

"For what?"

"Just…listening. I know you're not the warmest person ever, and you would probably prefer for people not to know you're a nice person, but thank you for at least being nice in private, which it's really needed, and always being there when I really need you."

Aphrodite smiled bigger than I think I've ever seen her smile, and I never saw her eyes start to water as she looked on the verge of tears. "Ok, out you go before you make me have an emotional breakdown! I don't need puffy eyes before Darius gets here. Out!"

I shook my head and left the room, headed back towards my own, stills no closer to where I wanted to be with my boy drama situation. Like I had told myself before, I would just let Nyx guide me.

I got back to my room to find Stark sitting on my bed with his head in his hands and sobbing. I rushed to him and put my arms around his shoulders, "Oh James, what's wrong?"

"Why Zoey? Why do you have to do this?" he asked.

"Do what?" I asked confused.

"This between us. I would give anything for you and now you would rather be with HIM? I can't take this Zoey" Starks face was streaked with red blood that flowed like lava out of his eye sockets. I felt terrible for what I did to him, it was unfair and I know it, but I had to do it.

"I'm sorry." I pulled his face to look at mine and I brushed back the little bit of curl that feel on his forehead looking deep into his eyes, "I just want time to figure stuff out. I don't know where I want to go or even who with."

Stark took a deep breath and stood up in front of me, "You know, I told you when I died the first time, in front of the field house that I would wait for you. I meant it. I would wait for you. I feel it in my heart Zoey that we are meant to be together. In here it tells me so!" he kept pointing to his chest. "If time is what you need, time is what I will give you. I vowed to protect you and I will do my duty, but you will always been in my heart Zoey, no matter how long it takes."

And as abruptly as he came in the room, he left. Not looking behind him, only staring ahead. It left me very somber and moody. I could feel my energy draining from my body as I grabbed the second bag of blood that Neferet gave me and sipped on it. I lay back on my bed and sipped my blood bag thinking about all that had transpired this day. Breaking up with Stark, Jack rejecting the change, Damien's heartbreak, Erik, and Aphrodite. With so much weight on my shoulders, no matter how much blood I drank, I fell into a deep slumber.


	5. Chapter 5

I fell into a deep sleep and dreamed of my Grandma's lavender farm. It was like deja 'vu all over again when I was first marked. I could hear my Grandma yelling my name from her house, but I couldn't see her. I was lying down on the grass looking up towards the sun. The sun which I hadn't seen in what seemed like forever. Since being marked, my days have now turned into my nights and vice versa. I rarely got to see the sun, but I loved it. The smell of its glisten on your skin, the feel the warmth on your back. It reminded me of earth, the smell of freshly cut grass and freshly harvested lavender. Singing birds in the trees happy that it's a beautiful day.

A dark ominous cloud rolled in front of the sun and blocked its brilliant light. My hand that shielded my eyes from the suns blinding rays came down to my side as I watched the cloud stall over me. It was dark, pitch dark and smelled of rain. The thunder boomed its nearing warning as the storm rolled in. I noticed that all the singings birds around me stopped their chirping. I sat up to see the house my Grandma called me from was deserted and looked like it had been left unattended for many years. The boards were rotting on the outside, the large porch nearly fallen. The lavender field was dead, which broke my heart. Everything around me looked like death and destruction.

I noticed that a dark shadow had come from behind me. I looked up to see John Heffer, my Step-Loser and my Mom. "Well, well, well, what do we have here?" he said with his arms pinned at his waist and a belt in his hand. A sinister grin crept across his face. My mother put her hand on his shoulder and looked down at me.

"Why, it looks to me like someone has done something very, very naughty!" my mother said as she shook her head in disapproval while looking down upon me.

I looked at them both, their eyes glowed a terrifying amber. "We could save her" suggested my mother once again.

"Why bother?" said my step-loser. "She is already damned. There is no saving her now"

I hadn't the faintest idea what they were talking about, but I was sure it was going to be bad. I rose up from the ground and began to back away from them. Never turning my back for one second.

"It's worth a try, get her to drink it!" my mother hissed.

John took out a small vile of red liquid that looked very much like blood, uncorked the top and held it out for me to take. "Drink this? This is what you want right? Blood?"

"I would never take anything from you!" I screamed at them.

"Maybe you won't, but we know people who would! We will get to you either way Zoey Redbird, either way!" he said as my mother cackled behind him with delight.

"Zoey, wake up" a small voice said to me. I turned around to see no one there.

"Wake up!" the voice said once again. I looked around trying to figure out where it was or who it was.

"WAKE UP!" the voice screamed.

My eyes flashed open and I rose off the bed in such a sweat that I had to take several deep breaths in order to control my breathing. I turned in all directions to see no one in my bedroom. I slumped back on the pillow and looked over at the clock. It was 10 a.m. Way too early for me to be awake. I pulled my feet over the side of the bed and slowly walked to the bathroom to relieve myself. I made sure to splash my face with cold water before I headed back to bed.

I came out just as the sun had hit my window. I could feel its warmth on the floor of my room and it reminded me of my dream. I quickly threw on some sweat pants and a sweat shirt and went outside. It might be nice for a change to walk in the sun; I would get some sleep later. I didn't bother putting on shoes because I wanted to feel the fresh dew on the grass under my feet.

The sun felt so great on my skin. I felt like this was a new day, a new start, a new beginning. A new day full of new surprises and new wonders. I was excited for what this day was going to hold. This day was the day I was to be inducted as High Priestess of the House of Night and into the High Council. I was the youngest vampire ever to be inducted before the age of 18 and I wasn't even a sixth former yet. "Thank you Nyx for all the gifts you've given me" I raised my hands up into the air, tilted my head back, closed my eyes and just spun the sunshine. I took in deep breaths of sweet grass and flowery perfumes that filled the air. I spun in the earth's essence and flopped myself down on the ground looking up into the sky.

I looked up into the clouds to make out their shapes. Some were teddy bears, trains, but one in particular looked oddly like a face, a very familiar face. I sat up on my elbows and looked at the cloud that sparked my interest. I felt the wind blowing around me and left a small chill on my back that gave me tiny goose bumps up my arms. The wind kicked up some leaves and they came together to create the same eerie face that I had seen in the sky above.

"Zoey-y-y" the voice I remembered from my dream haunted me again.

I looked around to see no one outside but myself. The cluster of leaves continued to swirl around me and came to a small figure. A figure I was most certain that I was knew.

"Zoey-y-y" the small figure called to me. "Remember your dream"

"Jack?" I listened more carefully, almost certain that it was his voice I was hearing.

"Remember your dream Zoey. There is much truth in your dream" he said again.

"Jack!" I said again but only too late before he vanished and was gone. I had seen Jack, granted he was dead, but dead in a physical way, not in spirit. I was just visited by Jack's spirit. He was warning me. About the truth in my dream? Could he possibly be speaking about the vile that my step-loser tried to give me in my dream. The way my mom and him were acting? What truth?

I decided the best course of action would be to write down everything I remembered. All the details and then show it to Neferet before the ceremony tonight. Maybe she would be able to explain things to me. I went back into the dorms and to my room to grab a piece of paper and a pen so I could track everything that happened in my dream. Once I was finished I felt the tiredness pull me again. I went to my bed, stripped my sweats off and fell back asleep.

I had another dream. This was much different than the first. This I was a witness to something going on, instead of feeling I was immersed somewhere. I was in a dark wooded area. You didn't see these types of woods around Oklahoma. These are woods you would see in the Northeast or even in the Northwest of the United States. Thick and tall trees that reached almost into the night sky. I had never seen trees so large.

I turned my head when I heard a rustling in the grass. I searched the tree line but saw nothing but darkness. In the distance I heard a growl, not knowing what it came from or where. I felt the bones inside me start to shake and my body becoming ridged. Off all the things to become scared of. The rustling was louder now, seemed as though something large was coming towards me. I turned in order to run to find a young girl flying through the woods. She had gone straight through me. She was being chased by what looked like large hairy beasts that I couldn't even begin to describe. They looked the size of buffalo, but they ran with the swiftness of wolves. The young girls breathing was labored as the beasts closed in on her. She tripped and fell forward. The first creature leaped and landed right ontop of the young girl. I turned my head just as he snapped at her face and took a chunk of it with his mouth. The rest of the pack with him continued in devouring the poor child right in front of me.

I woke up screaming, screaming and crying for the young girl mercilessly murdered in front of me. I opened my eyes to see Stark on my bed trying to restrain me. "Zoey, Zoey!" he cried. "Wake up, please baby wake up!"

I kicked and screamed not able to get the visions out of my head. Once I was calm I broke down and cried in his arms as he rocked me back and forth in comfort, rubbing my back and resting his cheek on my head trying to sooth my fears. "What on earth were you dreaming about?" he pulled my face to his and brushed the hair out of my face.

"It was horrible James! Oh my lord it was horrible!" was all I could say before throwing myself into his chest again to cry.

"I felt your distress; I came as quickly as I could. Even Shaunee and Erin along with Aphrodite and Stevie Rae were racing to your room, they all heard you screaming." Stark explained.

I looked past him to see the Twins, Stevie Rae and Aphrodite just waiting by the door, "Is she ok?" said Stevie Rae.

Stark turned around, "I think so, hey you guys, give us a minute ok?"

Everyone cleared out but Aphrodite who spoke up, "Oh no, I'm not leaving until I find out what happened. If I'm her consulate, I better be here!"

I eyed Aphrodite as I hadn't told anyone else though and Stark just looked at me, "You chose her?"

"Yes, I did. It was a wise choice. She knows everything, all my secrets, everything I've been through, it was the best decision." I said very sure of myself even though still frightened from the dream I had.

Aphrodite sat at the end of the bed behind Stark, "What was the dream about?"

I told them both all about the dream, every detail, I even told them about my first dream and how I went outside and thought I saw Jack, now I was convinced this was all a dream, that I never went outside.

"Zoey, your feet are filthy! If you didn't go outside, then I'm calling my maid to clean your room!" Aphrodite pointed out.

I pulled my feet up and sure enough, there was a bit of dirt on the bottom where I was walking across the courtyard. I gasped, "Maybe I did see him!"

"I think your one flew over the coo coos nest to me. You probably just thought you saw him. Jack is gone, he's not coming back" Aphrodite said.

"No, really, I swear I saw him, but it wasn't him, it was in the shape of Jack, I swear on it!"

"Did he say anything to you?" asked Stark.

"He said 'There is much truth in your dream'"

Both Aphrodite and Stark scratched their chins thinking of what that could possibly mean. "About your parents?" asked Stark.

"Yes, I came back to the dorm, wrote down every detail of the dream and went back to sleep, then that's when I had that nightmare."

"Well, one of the High Council members is a dream specialist. They might be able to help us. Especially if a High Priestess is being plagued with nightmares." Pointed Aphrodite. "Plus, we need to get you up! Busy night tonight High Priestess!"

Aphrodite pulled me out of bed and onto my feet, "You can use my shower if you want to relax a bit. I have some lavender soap and stuff that your Grandma sent me. That should help. I'll take care of all your prep!"

"Since when have you been nice?" Stark asked.

"Only when I want to be…which don't get your hopes up, it's not often" Aphrodite giving him a smug look.

Before Aphrodite whisked me off to her room Stark grabbed my hand and pulled me into a tight hug and whispered in my ear, "If you need anything, just send me a mental message and I'll come right away, okay? Just because we aren't together, doesn't mean I don't love you and care about you. Try to relax and I'll see you later." He gave me a light kiss on the cheek and then left the room. I smiled because he understood that even if I couldn't figure the whole thing out with him and Erik, I still cared either way and I was glad he cared too.

Soon after Stark left Aphrodite and I were bombarded by the Twins and Stevie Rae. With all the questions I was forced to relay all of the nightmare and dreams and visions of Jack that I had with them all. The portions about Jack really caused a stir with the Twins and Stevie Rae.

"You…really saw him?" Shaunee stuttered.

"Yeah, what Twin said"

"It wasn't really HIM, it was like air and earth were pulling together to form his shape, with his voice and he spoke to me. But it didn't look like you were talking to him like old times. It was like he was a force of nature."

"Do you think he could just be apart of nature now?" Stevie Rae asked. "I've been feeling a stir with Earth lately since Jack passed."

"It's possible, but no way to really know without talking to Neferet or another member of the High Council." I said.

"Ok nerd herd, we can continue this in my room where I'll be getting Zoey ready or you can leave." Aphrodite butted in. "Either way, we've got to get her ready for tonight, Zoey needs lots of relaxation and rest, and of course prepping to look emaculate for tonight!"

"Awe, how sweet of you Aphrodite! I didn't know you could lower yourself to a hairdresser" Shaunee teased.

"Do you do nails too? I need a manicure" Erin said as the Twins slapped high fives at their teasing.

"Die Dorkimiese Twins!" Aphrodite spat back at them.

Stevie Rae just shook her head, "It's never going to quit, you know that right?" she said to me.

I just rolled my eyes, "Yeah, I'm getting used to it."

All of us left my room and headed down the hall to Aphrodite's room where she had food brought up for the Twins and herself and lots of wine and blood for Stevie Rae and I so we would feel refreshed and new. She even had someone come in to do nails and toes. It was a girl's time and I enjoyed every bit of it. It actually helped me to forget everything that had gone on in my dreams, which was a good thing. The only thing I wanted to feel at my induction was excitement, not worried or scared or nervous. Nervous, yeah, I guess I would be anyways.


	6. Chapter 6

Us girls spent the day just pampering ourselves and enjoying girlie time. We all had our nails and toes done. Shaunee and Erin were actually quiet most of the day, and surprisingly nice to Aphrodite, who was also acting out of character. If she wanted to keep up her bitchy attitude towards everyone else, she was doing a good job of lowering her shields. It was nice to have some time together with all my girls and no bickering or fighting or name calling going on. It was definitely relaxing. That was, until the knock came at the door.

"Z?" Erik called as he poked his head in the room. Aphrodite gasped as she still had her robe on and a mask on her face.

"Have you heard of knocking!" she snapped.

"I did knock!" defended Erik as he walked in the door. "Not like I haven't seen more of you before" he smirked.

"Did you need something?" I asked.

"I wanted to check to see if you were ok. Stark came to talk to me this morning, I assume after your episode."

"I'm fine, and that's quiet a surprise that he came to talk to you."

"Yeah, well, we talked for a bit, he said you had a nightmare? I was just going to see if there was anything I can do for you?"

"Yeah, you can get the hell out and let us finish getting ready!" snapped Aphrodite.

Erik huffed, gave me a wink and walked out of the room. It was nice to have two guys seeming to be gaga over you, but way too confusing in the long run as feelings ran deep for both.

We continued to chat and act silly when Neferet was our next guest to come to the room.

"I see you girls are getting ready for tonight's festivities? I want you all to know that the whole school will be here at the induction. It is a great honor and a rare privilege." Neferet said in such warmth and admiration. "Zoey, when you have a minute, I would like to speak with you in private."

"Sure" I got up and followed Neferet out of the room letting the girls know to continue getting ready and I would be right back.

Neferet walked down to my room and opened my door for me. On the bed lay a beautiful black lace gown. My eyes grew wide as I looked at it. "Oh Neferet!" I exclaimed.

"It was the same gown I wore when I became High Priestess. I am passing it to you. You would look svelt in it since it's backless, it will show off your markings very beautifully." She smiled.

"Oh thank you!" I ran to her and hugged her tightly. I couldn't help but let a small tear flow from my eyes. I had never been given something so beautiful by my own mother. Neferet sat me down on the bed and took my hand in hers.

"Zoey, Stark has let me know that you had some very bad dreams last night and even a vision of Jack? Is this true?"

"Yes" I answered.

"Why don't you tell me about it? There is a priestess on the High Council that is a dreamweaver, if you should need her assistance, I can gather her."

I told Neferet I didn't think that was necessary. I told her all about my first dream, between my mom and step-loser. This seemed to spark some interest to Neferet. "Your Step-father, he is an elder with the People of the Faith is that correct?"

"Yes, do you think it's somehow connected?"

"Perhaps. Dreams don't necessarily mean they are just that, dreams can be visions, warns of what's to come. This has me very concerned, especially when you mention the blood vile."

I continued telling her about Jack, my venture outside and what he said and it only confirmed her suspicion that things might be connected somehow. "It is not untold of for a vampire to see spirits, or even be visited by them. It is not a common occurrence though, very rare has it happened, but out of everything, many rare things have been happening at this school for some time now."

"Do you think Nyx sent Jack to me to warn us?" I asked.

"Nyx works in mysterious ways, it's possible. Just because our bodies die, does not mean our souls do. Jack may be gone in the physical sense, but not spiritually."

The last bit I got into was the forest dream of the young girl that was eaten by large beasts that hunted like wolves but looked much scarier. It was a tale that shook me to my bones and if that was a vision or a warning, it could mean some very nasty evil was most certainly close by.

"That is a fateful tale indeed. I will ask the Oregon House of Night if any fledglings have gone missing or any they were due to receive did not show. We'll figure this out Zoey. For tonight, I want you to put it all behind you. This is a large celebration and I don't want your mind muddled with worry. Leave that to me for now." Neferet touched my face and smiled. "Now, take your dress and go get ready. Let the girls pamper you. You deserve it. Oh, I almost forgot, I have one last surprise for you."

"Another surprise?" I asked excitedly.

Neferet walked to the door and opened it to present my Grandma. She ran to me and put her arms around me in a tight embrace. Neferet smiled and quietly exited the room leaving me and my Grandma to ourselves for a bit of privacy.

"When did you get here?" I asked.

"Early this morning my u-we-tsi a-ge-hu-tsa. Neferet told me of the ceremony tonight and said you would be delighted to have me there."

"Of course! I should have called, things have just been…hectic." My smiled turned upside down and Grandma could sense something was troubling me.

"Come, tell me what is on your mind Zoeybird" Grandma took my hand and I once again, though you would think I would get tired of telling the story, I told yet everything that had happened the past few days. "That is a lot of stuff to take in. Poor lil Jack. If you think you are seeing him though, then he is not totally gone."

We chatted for a bit, I showed Grandma the dress that Neferet had given me and she agreed as well that it would look marvelous on me. I pulled her out of my room and down the hall to Aphrodite's. I was sure Aphrodite would love to see my Grandma too. She was the first person to actually touch Aphrodite on an emotional level. I was glad that she at least had Grandma to come to when her parents were doing nothing but beating her down about not being good enough.

"O-M-G!" Shaunee blurted out.

"That's right Twin! Zoey…you look.."

"Breathtaking!" Shaunee finished.

I spun in my dress that Neferet gave me. After much catching up in the room, we had looked at the time to see that it was only a few short hours away from when the ceremony was due to start. We would need to start getting dressed and everyone was anxious to see what mine looked like.

"It's perfect for you! Who would that thought you'd fit into Neferet's clothes so perfectly!" Stevie Rae commented. "And the back, I love it. It shows off your marks so beautifully."

"Thanks!" I said as I checked myself out in the mirror. The dress hugged all my curves. The back scooped all the way down to just the top of my butt, so my entire back was exposed. The front of the dress was a square cut, so it wasn't too revealing, but it pushed my boobs up. Aphrodite said I looked like an old pin up girl and it was most definitely going to make Stark and Erik very jealous. Of course she had a devilish smile on her face when she said it.

Aphrodite's hair dresser did my hair, which was pulled up into a tight knot at the top of my head. This helped show off my markings down my face and my neck. I felt like a princess getting ready for a ball. Shaunee and Erin were insistent on doing my makeup, and even though Aphrodite had hired a makeup artist, the Twins were adamant about doing it themselves. They made my eyes a sultry and smoke black with lots of mascara, the tiniest bit of pink on the apples of my cheeks and just a hint of pink gloss on my lips.

Grandma came up behind me and looked into the mirror at my face with her hands on my shoulders, "My u-we-tsi a-ge-hu-tsa, so grown up. You are a beautiful woman and I couldn't be prouder of you!"

"Thank you Grandma!" I turned and gave her a light kiss on the cheek, careful not to mess up my makeup that Shaunee and Erin spent so much time doing for me.

"Now for the shoes!" Erin said.

"Yes, you can't have a complete outfit without the perfect pair of shoes!" Shaunee said as she pulled out these very sexy, strappy, and high black heels from their box. "We got these for you"

"Oh you guys!" I wined. This wasn't the first pair of shoes they got me, but at least they weren't Christmas themed. "Wait, these are…"

"Manolo's. Yes, they were expensive and if you fall down and break a heel, your paying for it!" Shaunee snapped.

"I can't except these you guys, that's too much."

"Yes you can!" Erin said as she shoved the shoes on me feet, "See, perfect fit! Right Twin?"

"Right!"

"Now, since everyone got you something, I have a little thing to get you" said Grandma. She pulled out a small but long box out of her bag to display a beautiful silver and onyx beaded necklace. "It was my mother's, I had hoped to pass it down to my daughter as it was passed to me, and she would pass it to you, but you are more my daughter than she is so you may have it." Grandma clasped the necklace around my neck. It fit perfectly with the dress.

"I love it Grandma!" I turned and hugged her tightly.

After I was ready everyone else got into their dresses. Shaunee was in a very appropriate fiery red dress that clung to her tall stature. Erin wore an ice blue dress that flowed just like the water she controlled. Stevie Rae wore a green chiffon empire waste gown and Aphrodite wore what looked like a white toga, though we wouldn't dare say that to her. I thought it fit with her name, being named after the Greek Goddess of Love, it was only fitting on her. We were all dressed to the nines.

TJ and Cole came to Aphrodite's room and picked up Shaunee and Erin, I think they lost control of their mouths because they were gapped open. Darius, of course, clad in a black tuxedo that caressed every bit of muscle he had, looked like James Bond. He kissed Aphrodite passionately as they walked out of the room. Damien came next and went crazy over Stevie Rae and I.

"You ladies look emaculate!" Damien said. "Do I have the pleasure of escorting you?" he stuck his hand out to Stevie Rae.

"Well why thank you!" she said in her Okie Twang. Damien held his arm out for Stevie Rae to take hold of and they walked out of the room.

Grandma gave me a kiss and told me she would see me there and again expressed how proud she was of me. Which now left me by myself. I was glad to have a minute to think for a minute. To reflect on everything that I'd been through recently. A lot had happened the past few months to bring me to this point. I was a rare fledgling from the beginning and I altered the course of everyone's lives from the moment I came to the House of Night. I sent a silent prayer to Nyx and thanked her for everything I'd been given.

"She know's your thankful" said a small and familiar voice.

I turned around and standing right at the door was Jack. He walked towards me and smiled as he leaned in and kissed me on the forehead at my crescent moon.

"You truly are the chosen one Zoey. Nothing can stand in your way."

"Thank you Jack" I smiled. "How are you here? How come I can see you but you don't show yourself to anyone else?"

"Because the Goddess wanted me to show myself only to you at first. When it is time, I will reveal myself to everyone."

"But why just me?"

"Because I need to tell you the truth. I was sent to deliver you a warning. The Goddess is working diligently to keep such evils from coming this far, but I'm afraid she will need your help, which is why she sent me." Jack took my hand and sat me down on Aphrodite's bed. "There is a great evil spreading. Fledglings are dying before they make it to the House of Night. These demons, beasts, whatever you chose to call them are extremely dangerous Zoey. They increase in power every day, with every life. Death makes them strong."

"What are these Demons? Are these the beasts that I have seen in my dreams?" I asked.

"Yes, and they can be much worse. Savage beasts they are, they consume flesh and blood. If you thought that Kalona was the worst thing you would experience, you haven't seen these terrible and frightening things."

"Where did they come from?" wondering what could have set these things loose upon helpless children.

"I believe you know the answer to that already" Jack said. "I must leave. I wished to come to congratulate you. Nyx is very pleased and she adds to tell you that you look just like a High Priestess tonight. Do not fret about your personal things; all will fall into place in its time."

Jack gave me a hug and as soon as he appeared, he was gone. Like a fairy, he popped out of the room. It was comforting to see Jack, but disheartening on the news he gave me. Now that I was going to be High Priestess, it would be my responsibility to figure out what was going on and try to stop it. I knew I had Nyx on my side, as well as my prefect that has stood by me through it all. I paced the room silently thinking about what these beasts or demons Jack warned me about could be and why they were there. What did he mean I might know the answer already?

A knock at the door interrupted my concentration and Stark stuck his head in. "Are you…." His mouth gapped open. "wow. You, ugh, look, umm…"

"Beautiful?" I added.

"Spectacular!" he said. "Would you do me the honor?" he held his arm out for me and from behind his back he gave me a single red rose.

I smiled at him and took his arm. "Where is Erik?" I asked, knowing probably a sore subject, and not entirely appropriate, I asked anyways.

"He's already in the Temple waiting for you." Stark said. "Don't worry, both of us are here, and neither of us is fighting over you. We understand that you will choose when you feel comfortable."

This is why I loved him so much. He was patient and sweet. I remembered us cuddling at night when I would have nightmares and how laying next to him made them all go away. He promised that he would always love me, always protect me


	7. Chapter 7

As we reached Nyx's Temple, where the ceremony would be Neferet met me outside and gave Stark a nod to proceed inside without us. She beamed down at me with such approving eyes that it made mine want to swell with happiness. Probably the most important day to any vampire, a moment any parent should be so proud of, and though she wasn't my mom, she was a close as I was going to get to have my mom again. Neferet had changed so much since we saved her. I couldn't bare the thought of killing her like I was instructed at first. I am always destined that no matter what, to find an alternative than to kill anyone. I may be a Vampire, but I'm against such things if it can be prevented. There has to be a way to save someone without ending their life for good. I didn't want to be a High Priestess if that is what this was about, but I knew in my head it wasn't.

"You look marvelous Zoey. I can't tell you just how proud I am of you." She kissed my temple and walked with me into the hall. As we entered there was a loud gasp as I'm sure my presence shocked everyone, I don't normally dress as provocatively as I did tonight. I was getting sneers and eyebrow wiggles from just about every guy in the school and jealous and envious stares from most of the girls. I kept my eyes forward and proceeded into the temple.

Before us was my prefect, the Professors were on the outer rims of my friends and surrounding them was all of the changed Vampires from the House of Night, including the Red Vampire's that were found in the Tunnels. Erik stood in the middle with the chalice of blood to which I was to drink and upon the balcony above was the High Council that looked down on us. Neferet bent down and whispered into my ear, "Don't be nervous but I believe you have some extra special visitors here" she said without even moving her lips as she plastered an angelic looking smile on her face.

I looked up to see a young woman, about 20, no more with dark black hair along side an older man, who looked maybe in his forties with long brown hair, mustache and beard. They looked like something straight out of the 1800's. The man nodded to me as I entered the room and the woman looked slightly pleased. "Who are they?" I leaned and whispered to Neferet as we slowly proceeded into the temple.

"Why Zoey, I would think of all people you would know. That is Vlad, and his mate Mina." Neferet answered.

It took a minute for my mind to register and then my eyes went wide as I went from Neferet to the special guests on the balcony that was eyeing me with great interest. "V-V-Vald? Vald the Impaler? Vald as in Dracula? Bram Stroker Dracula?!" I asked.

"Yes Zoey, did you honestly think he was just a fictional character? I have to say, Bram Stroker didn't quiet get his facts right when he wrote the book. I think he was just angry that Dracula got the girl and not him." Neferet answered with a smile.

I turned my attention to my special guests and acknowledged them with a slight bow of the head, which I received in return. I could hardly contain my excitement as my Father came to greet me in the middle of the circle. He took my hand and kissed Neferet lightly on the cheek before turning towards the High Council.

I first noticed that everyone, including the High Council and Neferet was dressed in robes. Dark, black robes with Nyx's symbol on the left breast as our clothing did while we were students at the House of Night. A tall and handsome man walked forward from the Council and said, "Hear the words of the Night Goddess, who of old was called Nyx"

A woman from the High Council stepped forward, her hair the color of claret waved down her back, her eyes were the colors of emeralds and she spoke, "Whenever you have need of anything, once in the month and better it be when the moon is full, you shall assemble in some secret place and adore the spirit of Me who is Queen of all the Wise. She who would learn all sorcery yet has not won its deepest secrets, them I will teach her, in truth, all things as yet unknown. And you shall be free from slavery, and as a sign that you be free you shall be naked in your rites. Sing, feast, dance, make music and love in My presence, for Mine is the ecstasy of the spirit and Mine also is joy on earth. For My law is love unto all beings. Nor do I demand aught of sacrifice, for behold, I am the mother of all things and my love is poured out upon the earth."

Neferet stepped from behind me and unzipped my dress and slowly slid it down my shoulders. I knew she sensed my panic as she never warned me of my needing to be nude for this ritual. Neferet whispered into my ear, "Do not worry, this is all apart of the ritual. You will be nude, but it is to give yourself to our Goddess and to rid yourself of earthly possessions."

Neferet unhooked my bra and slide my underwear from my hips. I was feeling increasingly nervous as I couldn't see anyone, but they were all staring at me. Naked, shaking and obviously nervous. I heard the chatter by me from all the students as they gasped at my markings that covered my entire body. My Marks were not just restricted to my face like most Vampires, but mine were spiraling down my neck, through my chest and stomach, down my back, around my hips and twisting around each arm and leg. I didn't have much more skin to spare; my whole body was covered in markings. "Now kneel" Neferet guided me down to the floor where she placed my hands in my lap as I sat on my feet kneeling on the floor of Nyx's temple. Everyone began to draw in near closing in the circle on me.

The High Priestess of the High Council started the chant, "We all come from the Goddess, and to her we shall return like a drop of rain, flowing to the ocean."

The rest of the students began to chant in return, three times did they chant as they moved around me then stopped.

Neferet moved around me with a Sword which she took from the altar and traced a circle around the outside perimeter of the students in the temple. When she finished she walked to Damien first, knelt to him and said, "Hail and welcome, bright Spirits of the East. Lend to us your power and protection that Zoey Redbird may be given a true initiation to justly wield the power of Air. So mote it be!" For the instant that Damien's candle was lit, there was no rush of wind but a bright lemon yellow light that filled the room creating a wall between Damien and I.

"So mote it be!" I heard everyone repeat.

"Hail and welcome, fiery Spirits of the South. Lend to us your power and protection that Zoey Redbird may be given a true initiation to justly wield the power of Fire. So mote it be!" Neferet said once again and once more I saw a light that emitted from Shaunee's candle, this time a fierce and warm red glow shoot up between Shaunee and I like a wall.

"So mote it be!" said the populous in unison.

"Hail and welcome, tireless Spirits of the West. Lend to us your power and protection that Zoey Redbird may be given a true initiation to justly wield the power of Water. So mote it be!" This time I saw a dark blue light wall formed between Erin and I. It seemed the light was incasing me.

"So mote it be!"

"Hail and welcome, frosty Spirits of the North. Lend to us your power and protection this night that Zoey Redbird may be given a true initiation to justly wield the power of Earth. So mote it be!" Green light spilled out and completed the box.

"So mote it be!"

"Hail and welcome, frosty Spirits of the Heavens. Lend to us your power and protection this night that Zoey Redbird may be given a true initiation to justly wield the power of Spirit. So mote it be!" Brilliant and bright purple light spilled out over top of me.

"So mote it be!"

"I call upon the Horned God; I call upon the Maiden, the Mother and the Crone; I call upon Earth, Air, Fire, Water and Spirit; I call upon the Hosts of the Mighty Dead; and I call every true Vampire within this circle to witness that we are here to consecrate Zoey Redbird as High Priestess and Vampire. The circle is cast!"

The colored walls began to bend together overhead and flowing together under the floor to form a hemisphere of bright white light, everyone joined in, "So mote it be!"

Neferet cut a gate in the circle and roughly led me to kneel at the edge and just before the gate, the sword-point was balanced over my heart, this I was prepared for. I grabbed the point of the sword to my chest and held it firmly. "You stand at the edge of a place that is between the worlds, in the presence of the Nyx and under the watchful eye of the Mighty Dead. If you go any further, you embark on a path that cannot be safely turned aside before your final death. Feel the sharpness of the blade at your breast, and know this in your heart that it would be better for you to throw yourself forward and spill out your life than to enter this circle with fear or falseness in your heart."

"I come with perfect love and perfect trust." I recited the words that Neferet told me with utmost honesty and truth to them. I could feel Nyx's spirit turn in my chest.

Neferet laid down the sword, lifted me to my feet and kissed me on the lips. "Thus are all first brought into the Circle." she then led me to the altar and taking up the sword, re-draws the circle over the gateway.

Everyone begin a quiet "Aum" as Neferet prepared to give me the Five-Fold Kiss and I took my oaths.

"Blessed are your feet, which have brought you to this place." Neferet knelt and kissed my feet. "Blessed are your knees, which shall kneel at the altars of Nyx." She kissed my knees. "Blessed is your sex, without which we could not be." She kissed my stomach "Blessed is your breast, formed in strength and beauty." She kissed my chest just above my breasts. "Blessed are your lips which shall speak the Words of Truth." Neferet kissed me on the lips as she stood, "Are you prepared to take the oath?"

"I am."

"Then kneel. You who have from birth been called Zoey Redbird, do you willingly pledge yourself to the Goddess Nyx?"

I placed my left hand on the top of my head and right hand on the soles of the feet. "All between my two hands belongs to Nyx. So mote it be."

All the others raised the volume of their "Aum" slightly.

"And do you swear to keep silent all those things that must be kept silent, to respect that which is taught to you, and to help those to which you teach?"

"I willingly swear to keep silent all that must be kept silent and to respect that which is taught to me and guide those who I guide. So mote it be."

The volume of the "Aum" got a little louder.

"And by what surety do you swear all of these things?" Neferet asked with seriousness in her voice, but love in her eyes.

"All of these things I do swear, by my mother's womb and my hope of future lives, knowing well that my Measure has been taken in the presence of the High Council. Should I fail utterly in my oaths, may my powers desert me, and may my own tools turn against me. So mote it be. So mote it be. So mote it be!"

"SO MOTE IT BE!" everyone joined in.

Everyone soon quickly rushed over and hoisted me completely into the air chanting my name over and over again, as fast as possible, as they carried three times quickly around the circle. When we returned to the starting point, they set me down face-down and pressed me firmly into the ground. It wasn't a pleasant feeling as I was still naked and felt quiet awkward about everyone touching me while I was still naked.

Gradually, the pressure relented to a gentle massage. Through all of this they continued chanting my name, falling off in volume and speed as the pressure relaxes.

"Know that the hands that have touched you are the hands of love."

Neferet handed me the sword and lead me towards the center of the circle, where we both kneeled. Neferet and I chanted at once, "Behold, restless Spirits of the Soul -- I bring before you Zoey Redbird, who has been consecrated as Priestess and Vampire!" We then set for and repeat at the North, West, South, and finally East.

"Thank you Spirits of the Mighty Dead, Spirits of the Elements, and awesome Goddess Nyx for hallowing our circle. Go or stay as you will -- our circle is ended."

After a suitable pause, the High Priestess spoke, "Our lovely rite draws to its end. Merry meet, merry part, and merry meet again. Blessed Be!"

"BLESSED BE!" Everyone answered in unison.

Neferet handed me a black robe, just like the one she wore and draped my naked body with it and she picked up the dress that I was wearing. My friends came over to give me huge hugs and showering of kisses from both Erik and Stark, which surprisingly, neither minded.

"That was TOTALLY cool!" Shaunee said.

"Yeah, I've never seen our elements just makes that kind of light before, usually it's the element itself." Erin replied.

"Were you scared?" Stevie Rae asked me.

I thought for a second, "No, I have to say, the nudity part took me by surprise, but I'm not ashamed of what Nyx gave me."

"Well, I think I got my fill of naked women for my entire life. I love you Zoey, but I'm kind of glad I like men." Damien said with a giggle and hugged my tightly.

"Well, that's obvious because if you were straight you'd be all over that hot bod that Zoey has!" Aphrodite chimed in. "I have to admit, I'm too vain to stand there naked in front of the whole school, so Nyx was right when she chose you over me."

"O-M-G! Did I just hear a COMPLIMENT come from the Hag of Hell's mouth?" Shaunee said astonished.

"Yes Twin! I think she did! That is sooo out of character!" Erin said as she put her hands to her face in shock.

"Oh shut it Dorkamiese Twins." Aphrodite said as she rolled her eyes and tossed her hair.

The High Council proceeded forward and the High Priestess comes forth. "Now that you have been initiated with the entire school, it is time we do our private initiation. Come" she motioned for us to follow. My friends gave me a wearily look and followed me through a small door on the side of the Temple that neither of us had really noticed before. The door led to a stair case that lead down to a dark basement below the temple. We followed the High Council down the spiraling staircase. The steps were old and the tunnel smelt of dirt and mold. Obviously no one had been down here in a great while.

"EW!" I heard Aphrodite scream as she waved the spider webs out from in front of her face. Darius caught her before she flung herself down the stairs, picked her up in his arms and continued to go down the stairs with a very thankful Aphrodite in his arms.

We met everyone at the bottom of the stairs in a room that was lit with torches. It looked eerily familiar to the tunnels that ran all over Tulsa. The High Council was positioned in a circle around an emblem on the floor that was a mark of Nyx.

The High Priestess stepped forward; her claret hair that flowed with her every move looked like rich Chinese silk. "Zoey, I am the High Priestess Caren. I have been the High Priestess that presided over all Houses of Night in this country. I have overseen all that you have been through and I can honestly tell you that I am quiet impressed with your bravery, diligence to do what is right and to maintain your composure while many of those around you are fighting for their lives. You have earned the right to be High Priestess, not just because you were chosen by Nyx, but because you are a strong person and vampire. You have characteristics to which we find favorable. Do you accept being High Priestess of this institution?"

"I do"

Caren turned to the tall man which spoke at the initiation. He held a chalice to which Caren bit the fleshiest part of her thumb and dropped a few oozing dropped of blood into the cup. She then took the cup and passed it along to every member of the High Council and they proceeded to do the same until the chalice was full. She turned and presented the cup to me with both hands. It was a gold chalice, much like the fabled Holy Grail that Christian's have been looking for for centuries.

"This is the same cup to which Nyx drank from and gave the dark gift to her children. Those close to her may drink of this, and this holds the blood of Nyx."

I took the cup and looked down at the soupy blood filled cup. I could smell no wine, this was straight blood. I took with both hands and took a small sip. The blood was intoxicating. The moment it hit my lips I wanted to sip more. I probably drank about half the cup before Caren had chuckled and tried to take the chalice away from me.

"Dear child, it is very tempting is it not?" Caren laughed.

I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand, and licked whatever remained, "Yes, very. I have found I have quiet the bloodlust, even as a fledgling."

"From what I heard, that is true." She smiled. "Now, for your prefect. I know they all have not turned, but hopefully the drink of life will help them along." Caren walked over to Damien first and gave him the chalice to which he sipped. His reaction was not quiet as strong as mine, but I could see his surprise and then relax to savor the taste.

Then to Shaunee and Erin, who have yet to turn. Both of them took small sips and turned their nose up. They have never been fond of drinking blood, at is straight, they never minded it laced with wine. Stevie Rae was the last and as usual almost drank the last.

"Now your Consulate?" Caren asked.

"Yes, I have decided. My Consulate is Aphrodite. I trust her with many secrets and she has always been non-biased with her decisions. I trust her with my life and the life of any student on this campus."

Caren walked to me and held out a small ceremonial knife which she quickly sliced a cut on my arm. I looked at her wildly and confused. "Drink Aphrodite. As her consulate, you must be bonded."

I pulled my arm away, "I am already bonded…" I held my arm to my chest. Aphrodite knew what would happen should she drink from me and then I from her. My bond with Stark would be broken, and very painful.

"With?" Caren asked sternly. "You can not appoint a consulate with a current bond in place. Who is the imprint with and why?" she demanded.

I lowered my head, unable to speak until, "I am her bonded" Stark called out. He stepped forward, "I am willing to endure the pain of her breaking the bond we have. It was for love that we bonded and imprinted. We were young and foolish."

I flashed my eyes at him, almost on the verge of tears as my eyes turned red feeling the blood about to surge. I mouthed to him that I was sorry, and he mouthed 'I love you' back.

"Do you accept his breaking of your bond? Or would you rather appoint him?" Caren asked. She seemed not to care either way.

I wasn't sure what I wanted to do. "I don't know Priestess. I do not want to hurt either of us, though I do not think it is far to name him my consulate when I have another man in waiting as well."

Caren's eyebrows drew up in surprise. "Two men after such an affectionate heart? How sweet" she chided. "Zoey, you are going to learn that you will not be able to please everyone. That sometimes, people will get hurt and there is nothing you can do to stop that hurt, but you have to make a decision either way."

I looked sideways to Aphrodite, then to Stark and finally to Erik who was all down in the tunnel with all of us.

"Whatever your choice may be, will not deter my feelings for you one bit." Erik said. "If you were to choose Stark, I wouldn't be offended."

I gave him a half hearted smile. I knew that saying, he said the same thing about Heath, and the whole reason we broke up was because he was becoming increasingly jealous of the time I spent talking to Heath, and then with Stark once he was saved, no matter what Erik said, he was still bothered by it, I knew it. I can't help that I have feelings for other guys, it happens. I'm still young and in no way considering settling down. I looked at Stark, heaviness in my heart, "I'm sorry" I said. He just nodded his head as I turned to Caren, "I choose Aphrodite."

"So be it" Caren said as she sliced my wrist open as my warm and sweet blood oozed out onto the floor at our feet. I could feel my breathing get faster as I was prepared for the pain I knew I would endure. I couldn't help but to look at Stark with pleading eyes as I knew he was going to be in pain as well as our bond was broken.

Caren pushed Aphrodite towards me and commanded her to drink, which she did with no complaint. The same was done to Aphrodite where her wrist was cut and her blood was presented to me. "Drink" Caren commanded me.

I took her arm and looked apprehensive. I looked down at the cut oozing warm, sweet smelling blood that I lusted for. Without looking up I said, "I'm sorry, but this might hurt a bit" as I raised her arm to my mouth and drank Aphrodite's blood which coursed through my system.


	8. Chapter 8

My stomach clenched and I doubled over in searing pain, worst than when I broke my bond with Erik, or even with Heath. The pain was unbearable and tears of blood shot out of my eyes. Aphrodite reached down and rubbed my back, "It will be over soon" she cooed mother like, very unlike Aphrodite. I heard nothing from Stark as my own pain superseded his own. When it finally died down I looked up to see Stark who had grabbed Erik's arm and was squeezing, his eyes tight shut and his mouth clinched tight as he breathed fast through his nose. When it finally passed for him he opened his eyes as a single blood tear dripped down his face. Stark knelt down in front of me, took my face into his hands and kissed my forehead, "I will always love you, I told you that before, and no matter what happens between us, or anyone else, I will always feel that way towards you."

I smiled and hugged him tightly, knowing this was not the last we'll be close again. I felt Nyx's pull towards him and I smiled. He helped me to my feet and I looked at Aphrodite and each of my friends who had faces of worry that were clear to be seen in their eyes.

Caren stepped forward, "Now that your past imprint has been broken and re-bond with your Consulate, do you swear, Zoey Redbird, never to break your bond except in final death? Do you swear to confess truth and faithfulness to your partner as you both will share in your feelings and thoughts?"

The oath sounded strangely to a marriage vow so I figured the correct response would be, "I do" Shaunee and Erin had a good chuckle.

"Do you Aphrodite swear to uphold the secrets of your High Priestess, to comfort her in times of distress, to be bipartisan to all matters of politics? Do you swear to never break your bond until through final death? Do you swear to confess truth and faithfulness to your High Priestess as you both will share in your feelings and thoughts?"

"I do" replied Aphrodite.

Again the Twin's burst out with laughter until Neferet turned to give them quite the evil glare, which shut them up very quickly. Damien nudged them both with his elbow and told them to shut it, but in a more eloquent way that they didn't quiet understand, as if they ever understood Damien's choice of vocabulary.

"I now present you your Consulate, High Priestess Zoey." Caren bowed her head and put her fist over her heart in salute as did the rest of the High Council.

"More like Husband and Wife?" Shaunee whispered to Erin.

"Haha Twin, I was thinking the same thing!" Erin replied.

Aphrodite walked right over to the Twins, "I may not be a Prefect member, but I am the Consulate and you WILL be considerate when around others of higher power than yourselves."

I couldn't help but to laugh as Aphrodite managed to shut the twins up quite quickly, but not without a roll of their eyes for a change.

As everyone departed I felt myself be a little lighter, freer, as if Nyx's spirit was truly lifted inside me, I was happy. Very happy. In turn, I looked at Aphrodite who had the biggest grin on her face that I've ever seen. I smiled back at her and her smile disappeared. "Ugh, your feelings are SO affecting me! Don't be so happy!" she squawked.

Before heading up the stairs again Neferet grabbed my hand and have me a big hug. "I believe you can put this back on. I'm sorry about not warning you earlier."

"It's ok, caught me by surprise, but overall, I'm thankful for what Nyx gave me." I said as I slipped my dress back on and Neferet helped me zip it up the back.

"This dress really is marvelous on you. I'm glad to have the opportunity to share something with you and to pass it down. I wore this when I was initiated to High Priestess." Neferet said as she straightened my straps and turned me to face her. "Zoey, I think of you as a daughter. I have never had much of a maternal instinct, but I feel overly protective of you. I really hope you can look to me as a mother figure even in light of our past."

I smiled as those were the words I had been waiting to hear. I couldn't help it but Nyx's spirit leapt out of me and I threw myself upon her. "I would want nothing more!" I exclaimed as I gave her the biggest hug I could possibly muster.

A few people were left in the temple waiting as Neferet and I came emerging out. Mostly just Stevie Rae, Aphrodite and Darius. The rest of my friends left already to attend to the after party. My Grandma had stayed behind for the second ceremony and greeted me with a large hug and showering me with congratulations and kisses. For once in my life, I felt loved. Like nothing could go wrong. Then just as my spirit leapt in happiness, my mind returned back to Jack's visit earlier and his warning, which left me feeling very ominous.

"Ok, so now that we have all this pomp and circumstance done, let's go PARTY!" Stevie Rae exclaimed in her thick Okie accent as she grabbed my arm and pulled me out of the Temple. "Oh Z! The whole school has the night off tonight, just to celebrate you!"

I felt a little uneasy that the whole school was looking at me for their good time tonight. But fear and rejection subsided to happiness and glee. The after party was being held in the school's ballroom. It was grand. I could see little glimmers of light spilling out of the windows. I stopped at the doors and Stevie Rae looked back at me, "You ok?"

"Yeah, just a little nervous I guess?" I said with an unsure smile on my face.

"Don't be! Tonight is all about you. Dance, sing, drink, eat and be merry! This is a great day for all Vampire's!" Stevie Rae told me as she began to open the doors. I was overwhelmed with the sight.

The windows were arched, almost a Gothic style to it with heavy lavender linens. A round table greeted us at our entrance which was a few steps down from the balcony that leads to the dance floor. The vase on the table was a bouquet of lavender, larkspur and purple shaded roses. Everything was purple themed. I could only guess because Neferet knew how fond I was of my Grandma's lavender farm, and I always kept fresh lavender in my room along with lavender products. Large crystal chandeliers hung from the ceilings that reflected the light all over the room. Candles and oil lamps where the only source of light in the ballroom and it made it look majestic.

Neferet came in from behind me and said she would introduce me to the House of Night and then we could go down and mingle with everyone. I followed her up the steps to the overhead balcony. Neferet raised her hands, "Merry Meet my children of Nyx"

"Merry Meet" everyone said in response.

"This is a joyous occasion. It has been prophesized that a child of Nyx will come and bring us all hope, will push us forward in this world beyond our past codes, but to a new wave of understanding and living. This child of Nyx, I am very proud to present, as you may all know, Zoey Redbird. She has been gifted and touched by Nyx in a very special way. Please welcome your new High Priestess to this House of Night. Now, let's carry on with the festivities." Neferet finished as everyone was applauding.

I looked down to see Stark and Erik, standing next to each other, looking at me with such love and affection clapping along with the rest before they saluted and bowed to me. I nodded my head. Shaunee and Erin were with TJ and Cole doing the same while far in the corner I saw Damien who looked solemn and upset.

I walked down the stairs from the balcony onto the marble dance floor. The ceiling in the ballroom was glass so we could see out into the Nyx sky. I walked towards Damien as everyone wanted to hug me and congratulate me and chit chat. I simply didn't have time for small talk. I nudged Damien in the shoulder, "What's up?"

"Nothing. Please enjoy your party." Damien said very dryly.

I took him by the hand and sat us down on a marble bench that lined the room. "No, what's the matter Damien? Something is wrong. Your not your normal self."

"What did you expect Zoey? Jack is gone. I have no one. Now I feel utterly alone." Damien explained as he started to tear up.

"Jack's not gone Damien." I said very matter of factly.

"Zoey, you saw him die. He's gone!"

"He may be gone physically, but I know for a fact he's not 100% gone." I bent to catch his eyes with mine as he placed his head in his hands.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"You can't tell anyone!" my finger shook in his face, "I mean it! You can't tell the Twins at all or Stevie Rae."

"What is it?"

"I've seen Jack" I blurted out.

"What do you mean you've 'seen Jack'"? Damien arched his eye brow and asked.

"Meaning, he came to Aphrodite's room after everyone left, he visited me outside when I had that nightmare. I've seen him Damien. I've touched him, I've talked to him."

I could see Damien's face getting brighter, "Do you think…is it possible he could be…"

"No Damien, he is not a red fledgling. I know that's what you were about to ask, but no. Jack is really dead. I'm sorry to tell you that, but he is. I can't even begin to imagine how much that hurts, I've been there, but I never really lost anyone fully. However, just because he's not here right now, doesn't mean he can't hear you" I smiled at him.

"So, his spirit comes to visit you then?" Damien asked, I nodded. "What did you talk about? Can I see him?"

"He came to warn me about something very evil heading this way. I can't answer that second question because he said he was only showing himself to me right now, but I don't know if he has plans to show himself to the others, or to you. But I promise, if I do see him another time, I will ask him especially to go see you."

"Thank you Z. I would really like that. I never really had closure with his death. I never got to tell him just how much he meant to me." I saw a tear form in Damien's eyes and I put my arm around him and comforted him.

"Hey y'all. What's going on?" Stevie Rae asked as she beamed in front of us.

"Nothing, just a little chit chat and some loneliness that's all" I said giving Damien a bright smile.

"Well, I know your quiet a dancer Damien, at least you'd have to be in order to be such a great swordsman. So get on your feet and dance with me!" Stevie Rae grabbed his hand and pulled him out on the dance floor. It was a nice upbeat song playing, everyone seemed to enjoy it. I sat on the bench just watching. I didn't really have a desire to get up and dance, I wanted to watch everyone else. How everyone interacted.

"Ugh, will you PLEASE just enjoy yourself for a change and not thinking about work, work, work all the time! It's driving me batty!" Aphrodite said as she gave me a cup of wine laced blood.

"Sorry, I've just got a lot on my mind." I answered still holding the cup in my lap too somber to drink it.

"Like I haven't noticed." Aphrodite said as she just about took a sip of her drink before she put it back down, "You know, in a very strange way, I'm thankful that you came here. To this House of Night."

I turned to Aphrodite and smiled, "Well, your welcome. I don't know why your thanking me though."

Aphrodite took my glass and her's and put it on the ledge above us then took my hands in her's, "I've been a selfish bitch. I've been taught to be selfish, to take everything that I want. Don't ask questions, don't care who you hurt. In the long run, it's ME that get's hurt. I've never had any good friends."

"What about Wasp, or Hornet, or whatever their names were" I asked jokingly.

"Please, they weren't my friends; they just followed me because they thought it was cool to be in the in group." Aphrodite waved her hand in the air to dismiss what I had just said, "Anyways, I wanted to tell you thank you. Thank you for saving me. Thank you for showing me that people can love and be kind. Thank you for giving more of a family than my real parents would have ever given me. Thank you for trusting me and I promise that I will never let you down."

"Wow, that's very…gallant of you Aphrodite and very humble. Two things that most people wouldn't think you had inside you. But I see what you've been through. I went through a lot of that myself and while it didn't make me hard like it did you, I had my Grandma to get me through the hard times. I'm glad that we can share her and she makes you feel like a good person again. I think you will come to understand that I believe that all people have good in them, no matter how bad they may act, there is always a bit of good in them." I smiled and gave her a huge hug, which she was awkward about at first but then relented and hugged me back.

"Oh my God Twin! Did you just see that?" Erin blurted out.

"I think the Hag of Hell just showed an affectionate side!" Shaunee said in disbelief.

"Shut it Dorkamiese Twins!" Aphrodite rolled her eyes and got up to find Darius on the dance floor.

"What was that all about?" Erin asked.

"Yeah, was she being fresh with you?" Shaunee asked.

"You know you guys, it doesn't hurt to be nice to Aphrodite once in a while. She's had it hard and it doesn't make it any easier to change when your constantly hounded."

"Well, I still don't like her" Shaunee added.

"Yeah, me neither. She used to refer to Stevie Rae as a Refrigerator, or did you forget all that?" Erin said.

"No, I remember it, but I've also forgiven it. Nyx put her in our path for a reason. And remember or not without her help, we might still be in those tunnels and it wouldn't have been pretty!" I chastised them both. "Now, why don't you just let the past be in the past, grow past it and try to forgive her? It would make it so much easier if you did that."

Shaunee and Erin hung their heads, "Really? Do we have to?" they said in unison.

"Yes"

"Fine" they both said as they got up off the bench and headed back towards a waiting TJ and Cole. I just shook my head and remembered my drink on the ledge. I swirled it around in the cup for a while before bringing it to my lips. My nose caught a wiff of a smell that wasn't quiet right. My brows furrowed as I looked down into the cup. The blood was not infused in the wine like it has always been before. This was a filmy grim that was on top of the liquid. I touched a bit with my finger and sniffed it. Instantly I reared from the stench. This was not right. Not at all. I checked the cup that Aphrodite had, same filmy grim that was floating on top. I ran to the fountain but not before Stark grabbed my arm and spun me around.

"Where are running off to in such a hurry?" he flashed his brilliant smile.

"The fountain!" I pointed. "We need to stop people from trying to drink it!"

Stark caught how worried I looked and grabbed my hand as we ran towards the fountain. He ran up and smacked the cups out of many fledglings' hands which came with many snarls and tongue lashings.

"Don't drink the blood!" I screamed. "Spit it out, put it back, and don't drink it!"

Neferet and Caren came running towards me, "What is the matter Zoey?"

"The blood, it looks and smells…unusual. I have a terrible feeling about it."

That's when the first fledgling went down.


	9. Chapter 9

By the time the first student went down, coughing a bloody mess, everyone started to panic. Stark was telling everyone that something with the blood was bad and to put the cups down if they had them. Many students started to panic running up to Neferet, Caren and I asking what they should do if they ingested the blood. A good portion of the House of Night had ingested the blood. Why would they have any reason to think it was bad? We didn't. It wasn't until I noticed it and now everyone was in panic mode. I instructed Stark and Erik along with Darius and Dragon to go out and anyone who did not ingest any blood should go back to the dorms, all the other students who did should stay and we would figure something out.

Neferet stepped over the first student, a girl; she was only a third former and new to the House of Night. She was coughing up blood everywhere; her eyes had turned the color of black coal. "Help me" she managed to gargle out. Neferet stepped over her and placed her hands on the girl's temples.

"She's been infected. The blood was poisoned."

"Can you do anything?" I asked.

"No, not this soon. I would have to run tests, it would take a tremendous amount of time, and we don't have that right now." Neferet said as she rushed to another student that had started to cough and throw up.

"What wickedness is this?" Caren asked. I had never noticed her beautiful but slight Irish accent before until now.

_The blood_

I heard the small whisper and my ears perked up as I looked around the room at the tons of student bodies lying on the floor.

_Remember your dream Zoey_

The whisper said again. Dream, Dream. Monsters, my Mom and Step-loser. Wait. The dream with my mom and step-loser! They were holding a vial that they were trying to get me to drink. "It's the blood" I said to myself but loud enough to Caren to hear.

"The blood? What is it Zoey?" Caren asked.

I turned to look her right in the eyes, "The blood, the blood is poison."

"How can that be? We got it from the professor's kitchen" Caren said. It made me think for a minute, how could anyone have access to those fridges, other than a few students who knew where to look.

"Where do you get the bagged blood from?" I asked her.

"Normally a bank" Caren said and as immediately as she said it her face lit up in surprise.

"The Banks!" we said in unison. "Neferet!" we yelled.

"All the blood from the banks, get rid of it!" I told her.

Neferet gave me an odd look, "But we need it for nourishment!"

"Not if it's going to kill us!" I added. "Get someone up to the kitchen and pitch all the blood. Save a bag or two for testing.

As Neferet left to head towards the kitchen Caren and I started to shuffle through all the students' bodies that lined the floor. Stark and Erik came bursting through the door running straight for me.

"Priestess" Stark said.

"Z!" Erik said at the same time Stark called to me.

"Hurry! You need to come outside, we have a situation" Stark said. He held his hand out for me to grab, along with Erik and they both ran with me outside with Caren not too far behind. What was outside was more frightening than I had ever imagined. The whole courtyard was littered with students bodies. Many rejecting the change, others were sobbing and crying over friends, roommates, best friends who were dying. My heart dropped to the floor as did my knees that gave out from under me.

"Zoey!" Erik and Stark called. "Zoey!"

My head snapped up to see Aphrodite. "Are you ok? I was trying to tell you something and you totally snapped into another world, were you even listening to me?"

I turned to look at her, my brows furrowed, "What? Sorry, where are we?"

Aphrodite gave me a confused look, "Are you ok Zoey? We're here, at the party, where we've always been, look, I snuck us some drinks!"

I hit the cups out of her hands as she screamed from the red blood and wine mix that splashed all over her white dress, "DON'T DRINK IT!" I screamed. I ran towards the fountain and grabbed all the cups that were lying out while I eyed all the students in the ballroom, "DON'T DRINK THE BLOOD!" I screamed again.

Stark and Erik came rushing over to me along with Neferet and Caren, "What on earth is going on Zoey?" Neferet asked.

"The blood, its poison!" I tried to tell them.

"Poison? Zoey, are you ok?" Neferet asked as she touched my face. "You're freezing! What's the matter?"

"I…I…I don't know. I was sitting there talking to Aphrodite, then the Twins, then people were just starting to die from drinking the blood. All the students, they…they…" I trailed off looking down at the ground.

"Zoey? It's ok, what did you see?" Stark asked as he lifted my chin.

"Students, bodies, everywhere, rejecting the change, poison was put in the blood before transported from the bank" Aphrodite said. Everyone turned to look at her as she collapsed on the floor, her eyes rolled into the back of her head as she shook violently.

"Goddess Nyx, what is this?!" Caren yelled. "NATASHA!" she yelled.

Another member of the high council came running over to Caren, she was beautiful, almost the image of Nyx. She had snow white hair that fell down to the ground it was so long. Her gown was crystal blue that showed off her icy blue eyes that almost reflected against her pale skin. She rushed over and knelt in front of Aphrodite and placed her finger tips on Aphrodite's temples.

"Speak child, what do you see?" Natasha asked in a soft and gentle voice that sounded like it would have come from angels.

"The ball, students were drinking from the fountain, one girl drops, a third former." Aphrodite started. I stared in amazement as she recounted my entire vision.

I nudged Stark and Erik to go to the fountain and make sure no one drank from it. Better yet, to discard of all the wine and blood there was. It was better to be safe than sorry. As they tended to it, Aphrodite recounted my entire; I suppose vision, to Natasha, Caren and Neferet as well as some other bystanders that were circling us.

"This is very bad, very bad indeed" Caren stood up rubbing her chin as if in deep thought.

"Someone has tampered with the blood, we must find out whom!" Neferet commanded. "We have incurred many enemies here at the House of Night in Tulsa. We do not have a strong base here and I fear for my children that they will be harmed."

"What enemies do you have that would do such a thing?" Natasha asked. "These are but children, not warriors. They wouldn't have even made their change yet, they can not even defend themselves!"

"The People of the Faith don't care if we are children or adults" I chimed in. I knew who was responsible. I knew it from my visit with Jack that something bad would happen where the People of the Faith are concerned.

"The People of the Faith are doing this? Are you sure?" Caren asked. "Neferet, do you have knowledge of this?"

"No sister, I do not. Zoey?" Neferet answered and looked at me for answers.

"I had a dream the other night; I had told Neferet about it. We didn't think it much more than a dream at the time, it could have been a vision, but either way, we didn't think we were in immediate danger." I started. "That's when my friend Jack appeared tonight to warn me."

"Jack? The boy that rejected his change just a day ago?" Neferet asked. "The same boy that came to you in your dream?"

"Yes, well, no, he didn't come to visit me in my dream; he has been visiting me spiritually. Nyx has sent him" I said with no doubt in my mind about what I was saying. Although I did feel like, "Hey, I'm Zoey, your new High Priestess, I'm not crazy, I swear, I've been visited by Nyx a dozen times and oh yeah, I can see dead people!" I might as well change my name to Haley Joel Osmond.

Caren looked surprised as did Natasha, "Tell us"

"I had two dreams just the other night." I looked at Natasha; "Neferet offered to retrieve you if I needed some help, I told her that wasn't necessary" Natasha nodded. "Well, my first dream was of my real mom and her husband. He happens to be an Elder for the People of the Faith."

"You have reason to suspect your own parents?" Caren asked looking oddly at me.

"They are no longer my parents, he never was and my mother wouldn't ever again." I said quickly as my Grandma came over and hugged me tightly. "These are my parents" I grabbed Grandma's hand and Neferet's. "Anyways, in my dream they were trying to get me to drink a vile of blood. I have a reason to suspect it wasn't under good intentions. That is when I saw Jack. He warned me about the dream. Then there was my second dream…"

"Just a moment" Caren said as she went into deep thought. "You dreamt your mother and her husband were trying to trick you into drinking poisonous blood?"

"Yes" I nodded my head.

"And he is of the People of the Faith?" Caren asked again.

Again I nodded ashamed that I knew this would probably bring an end to my relationship with my mother, but she ruined that years ago. Though I was sure it would bring an end to much more than just our relationship.

"Continue" Caren gestured with her hand.

"My second dream was something entirely different. It was horrifying and terrible. It seemed like monsters, demons, whatever they were, were killing fledglings. My dream was of a young girl that was ripped to shreds. Jack visited me again to tell me that the two may be related, but wouldn't tell me how. He just told me that Nyx sent him to warn us of a terrible evil coming our way."

"And when were you going to come to tell us this?" Caren asked.

"She had the dreams last night, she conversed with me and I was going to take appropriate action to call local House of Night's to see about any fledglings missing or reported to show but didn't. I haven't received word back yet. I didn't think it wise to alert and alarm everyone if nothing came up." Neferet defended me.

To be safe Caren suggested that we end the party early, though it had only just begun, there was way too much up in the air to worry about someone getting hurt or even dying. She made us all assemble in the ballroom and instructed us that under no circumstances were students to drink anything that looked like blood or smelled like blood unless given by a Professor. On parent visits, students were not to accept any food or drinks unless they were literally trying to put their lives at stake. We were just trying to protect them. Many of the students complained, other's just shrugged their shoulders, but most ended up leaving without a word said. It made me very worried. Very worried!

Caren instructed all students to go back to their dorms, which she was sorry that the party was cut short, but that we should all remain in our dormitories until the morrow. Erik came to find me first and asked if he could walk me back to my dorm. I just stood there for a bit, not answering him.

"Zoey?" he said, "Z!"

My head shook as I looked at him, "Sorry, yes?"

"I asked you if you wanted me to walk you back…are you ok?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just need to lie down." I shrugged it off. "If you want to walk with me, that's fine, I don't really care either way. Hey" I said looking around the room, "Where is Aphrodite?"

"After her vision Darius picked her up and took her back to her room. She's there resting. Do you want to go see her?" Erik asked.

"Might be a good idea. I need to ask her how she knew what I saw"

Erik chuckled and shook his head, "Did Neferet not really tell you anything?"

"Why? What?" I looked at him confused.

"Your Consulate is you're most trusted. You bonded, so what you see, she sees, what you feel, she feels. You'll never be able to keep a secret from her and her from you. You are one in two people basically." Erik explained. I let out a big, "oh!"

"So my vision triggered her own, or at least what I saw?"

"Yes, but I think she had a more violent reaction than you did, I've never seen her convulse when she has a vision before."

We continued to talk as we walked back towards the dorms. Stark was walking back towards the ballroom and met with us half way, "Hey!"

"Hey, what's going on?" Erik asked him.

"Priestess" Stark said as he saluted and bowed. "I was walking Stevie Rae and Damien back to their rooms. Seems a lot of them are shook up, especially the red fledglings. They need blood in order to survive; they can't just abstain from it. We need a solution and in a hurry."

"It's the People of the Faith poisoning the bags of blood." I started thinking out loud. "Do you think we could find out if the owners and operators of the banks were members?"

"Hmm…I never thought of that!" Erik exclaimed.

"That's a great idea; I can get Darius to help me out. I know where we get the blood from; maybe we can do a little good vampire bad vampire routine?" Stark grinned.

"It's good cop, bad cop and that's probably a bad idea, we don't want to be seen trying to attack humans. We need to be cooperative. We need to get the police involved." I stated, obviously knocking Stark's idea out of the water. "But, if you wanted to check the place out, be my guest. That might actually give us a good lead."

Stark nodded and started to walk away. I grabbed his forearm and pulled him closer to me so I could whisper in his ear, "Please be careful. I wouldn't know what to do if you got hurt." Then I kissed him on his cheek.

"I love you too Priestess, don't worry about me, I'll be fine" Stark said loud enough for Erik to hear and smiled as he winked back at Erik who's own smile faded to a scowl.

As Erik and I walked back towards the dorms I got a very silent and reserved feeling from Erik. "Is something wrong?" I asked him.

"No, I'm just having a hard time with some personal stuff." He said rather coldly.

"Like what that wouldn't concern you and I?"

"It does include us, and you wouldn't like it." Erik heaved a heavy sigh and stopped in front of me looking me right in the face. "I know I said I'd be there, that it wouldn't matter to me, but it does. It matters a lot to me. I think it eats me up from inside knowing that it's my own brother that I'm competing with. That I can't just simply win your heart, that I've been so disgusting in the past towards you, it eats at my soul Zoey."

I looked into his beautiful blue eyes and could feel nothing but compassion for him. He was really laying everything out on the table right now. "Erik…I..." started to say before he cut me off with a kiss to my lips. His hands found my face and held me tight. He kept pulling me closer and closer to him and finally wrapped an arm around my waist as he continued to kiss me, which I couldn't help but to kiss back. This whole boy this was mighty confusing, but this felt natural. I suddenly felt my back being pressed up against hard bark and Erik grabbing my wrists, pinning me on either side. Erik soon broke away from the kiss and just looked at me. How I loved his eyes and how he looked at me. I just shyly smiled at him and he let my wrists go and we continued to walk towards my dorm without saying anything else.


	10. Chapter 10

We were bombarded by the Twins the moment we walked into the girl's dormitory.

"What just happened out there?" Shaunee demanded.

"Yeah, Twin, what's going on Z? Everyone is scared!" Erin pleaded.

"I don't know just yet but I have a guess at what it might be."

"Can we hurt them with fire?"

"Or water? You know that the Twin and I could probably take care of it" Erin added.

I just laughed, "I don't know at all. But thanks for the offer. Where is Stevie Rae?" I looked around and didn't see her in the common area like the Twins were, then I spotted TJ and Cole, whom Erik had walked over to talk to. Now I knew why Stevie Rae might not be here.

"She just went back to her room. Seems some of the red fledglings are starting to get edgy about the no blood thing. You don't think they'll start….you know?" Shaunee made fangs with her teeth and pretended to bite Erin.

My eyes went up in amusement, "I hardly doubt it. I'll talk to Neferet about getting donors and maybe that might curb it for a while"

"Donors? Like feeding off of other people?" Erin asked

"Eww, gross!" Shaunee said.

"I know it's gross to you, but to me, and about all other vampires in the world, its quiet desirable. I think you'll soon change your mind whenever you two decide to change."

"Hey Shaunee, Erin" Erik nodded to the Twins. "Good to see you."

"Ugh…yeah…hi!" the Twins sputtered out as Shaunee mouthed to me, "Oh my God is he hot!"

I couldn't help but to roll my eyes. They were only ever interested in looks. I had much more on my mind. "Ok, well, now that we're hopefully not in immediate danger, I'm going to head to bed."

"Your Grandma is in your room, I suppose she's staying in your extra bed?" Erin told me as I was walking down the hall.

"Thanks, yeah, she is!" I said as my pace got quicker. I would be able to talk to Grandma about what was happening and possibly she could help me out once again, like she's always done. Erik caught up to me, not realizing that I had left the common rooms and grabbed my hand.

"Hey! Why'd you run off?" he asked.

"I'm just really tired, that's all, and I want to talk to my Grandma about some things." I gave him a half hearted smile.

"Look Z, I didn't mean to be…" he started but not before I placed a finger to his lips and told him to hush.

"We don't need to talk about it right now. Let's all just get some rest and I'll see you in the evening. Do you want to get breakfast with me?"

Erik's face lit up with that question and he smiled that brilliant smile he always had. "Sure, I would love to. Good Night Priestess." Erik bent down and kissed me lightly on my lips, then each of my cheeks then finally on the half crested moon on my forehead. "Sleep well"

I smiled as he walked back down the hall, but not before he turned one last time to wink and smile at me. I felt my heart flutter. I just rolled my eyes, ugh, boys. What was I going to do about this now? If I thought juggling Erik and Loren were bad, man, this must be horrible to juggle both Erik and his own biological brother, Stark. Was my love life twisted or what?

I opened the door and Grandma was just pulling the sheets down the bed and ready to climb in.

"Oh my u-we-tsi a-ge-hu-tsa!" Grandma ran to me and wrapped her arms around me in a tight embrace. She smelled of lavender and honey. I soaked up her scent and drenched myself in it. "What terrible things could have happened tonight had you not stopped everyone!"

"Yeah, yeah. I know. I just don't know how it might have happened or if it really did. It was weird Grandma. It was just like I was talking there with Aphrodite and then everything just happened. Then I was with Erik and Stark, we were running and I collapsed. That's when I came back to the present and Aphrodite said it was like I dazed off or something. It was so real, my vision." I shook my head and sat down on the bed next to Grandma. She placed her hand on my back and rubbed like she did when I was child after I had had a bad dream.

"Zoeybird, your Goddess works in mysterious ways. Maybe this was a way of warning you so you would warn others. It seems to me this may only be the start of it."

"I know…" I grumbled. "And if that's not enough on my plate, I have this Stark and Erik thing too…I don't know what to do Grandma!"

"Zoey darling, men are never easy to choose between. There will always be good qualities in one that you don't see in another. There will always be bad blood or qualities that you don't desire. But I believe that Nyx put them both in your life for a purpose and reason, maybe she's giving you the chance to make your own path."

"Great, just what I need. Just when I look for guidance I'm left in the dust" I moped.

"I don't think you're left in the dust sweetheart, but these are matters of the heart. To which do you care for most?" she asked me while stroking my hair and taking the many pins out letting it cascade down my back.

"That's what I don't know. I have feelings for both; I just don't know which one I want to be with. I don't want to hurt either of them." I looked down at the ground and just gently shook my head.

Grandma took my chin in her hand and forced me to look into her chocolate brown eyes, which ironically reminded me of Starks eyes. "You are young Zoey; you don't need to make a decision now or even soon. But know to follow your heart. Nyx will guide you to the right path."

"I guess your right" I said as I got up and grabbed the hairbrush running it through my hair a few times then grabbing a pair of pajama pants and a tank top before heading into the bathroom to clean up before heading to bed.

I closed the bathroom door behind me and turned on the hot water, resting my elbows on the vanity, I stared into the mirror. "Why is my life always a constant rollercoaster ride?" I asked myself. I shook my head and then splashed it with hot water before applying my face wash. After I was finished and cleaned my face off I looked back up into the mirror and it looked like a small girl was standing behind me. It startled me but I continued to stare at her in the mirror. "Who are you?"

"Help me!" she cried softly. "Help me!"

"Who are you?" I asked again, not turning around, but talking in the mirror to her. The girls face went dark, as if all the color went out of her and her skin started to turn black before she screamed. I screamed too as I turned around to find no one in the bathroom with me. I heard a knock at the door which made me jump, "Zoeybird? Are you ok?"

I had my hand on my chest and I was breathing something strange. "Yes, I'm fine."

I walked out of the bathroom and Grandma was looking at me very peculiarly.

"Zoey, what's the matter? You look paler than ever, why did you scream?"

"There wasn't anyone else in here was there?" I asked.

"No, not that I know of, why?"

"I saw someone in the bathroom with me"

A knock at my door came, I could hear it was Erik outside. "Z? Are you ok? I heard you scream. Open the door"

I opened the door for him and he busted in the room and searched all the rooms, closets, under the bed. I just rolled my eyes, "No one is here Erik, just us"

"What's the matter?" he said hurriedly.

"I thought I saw something, but it's not anything to be concerned about"

"If it scared you enough to make you scream, then I would say it might be something to be concerned about?" Erik said.

"Maybe, but nothing for you to concern yourself about. Go ahead and hang out with TJ and Cole, I'm fine. Just need some sleep that's all. My mind is playing tricks on me."

Erik strode closer and put her hands on my shoulders, "You're tense" his eye brow arched.

"Yeah, because you insist on trying to get something out of me…just go" I playfully pushed his away and almost out of the door before he caught it with his hand and pushed it back open.

"If something does happen, you'd tell me right?"

"Of course" I said and Erik left. I smiled and shook my head once more at my boy dilemma. Made me wonder were Stark was. He must be with Dragon and the High Council with getting rid of all the bagged blood.

"What did you see Zoey?" Grandma asked after I shut the door.

"A girl" I stood there trying to recount the vision, what the girl had looked like. "She was ragged. Her clothes were torn and she was bleeding. Her hair was dark as midnight with twigs and leaves stuck in everywhere. Her eyes though, her eyes were black, like all black, no whites at all."

"Did she say something to you?" Grandma asked.

"She just said 'Help Me'. Then she screamed, as if something was attacking her, it scared me and made me scream."

"I think it's time for you to get to bed and get some rest. I made you some lavender tea to drink. This might help."

I got into bed and Grandma tucked me in and gave me the tea she made. I slurped it down as fast as I could hot tea. It was delicious and I started to feel the pull of morning calling me to sleep.

"Happy Birthday Zoeybird!" my mom called as she burst into the door of my bedroom with my dad in tow. This was not the family I have; this is the family I wish I HAD. My mom was still as sweet as she used to be, at least before my father left. In this point of my dream, my mom knew what he was. She wasn't afraid of him and they were happy. I was happy. Grandma strolled into the room after them both and even my little sister, who was just a small child jumped up on my bed.

"Breakfast in bed?" my mom asked me as she handed me a ham and cheese biscuit that she used to make for us as kids. I smiled and hugged everyone while telling them how much I truly love them all. How I wish they would all be like this forever. Everyone laughed, except my dad. My dad looked at me with cold eyes, as if they were boring into my soul.

"What's the matter, Daddy" I asked.

"You are!" he said as his face swiftly comes within an inch of my own. This was not my father. This was John Heffer. His eyes were cold as steel. I screamed and kicked as he tried to hold me down on my bed.

"Get off me!" I screamed. "Let me go!"

My mother came in with a small vile, the same vile that looked like blood in my first dream. She opened it and looked at me with caring eyes, "This is for your own good. It's the only way to save you"

I spat in her face, "I don't need saving!" I yelled.

My mother's face turned colder than John's as she reached over and smacked me in the face harder than anyone could ever have done. My mouth gapped open in shock that my mother had hit me. John grabbed my mouth with his hand as his other was trying to hold onto my wrists. My mother bent down and started to pour the poisoned blood into my mouth. I gurgled and choked. She shut my mouth and plugged my nose, forcing me to ingest the fluid that would eventually kill me.

My body started to convulse, foam came from my mouth as I spit blood everywhere. My eyes rolled back into my head as I rose out of the bed. My limbs started to take shapes of claws and hair stared to grow everywhere. I pushed them both off of me as I saw their faces of terror. I proceeded to the mirror to find that my nose was protruding out, a hump was growing on my back, teeth, snarling teeth bared down from my jaw. I screamed as my body transformed.

"Zoey! Wake up Zoey!" I heard a voice call to me.

As I awoke from my dream my Grandma and Neferet were sitting on my bed. Neferet was taking my temperature and I noticed Natasha and Caren at the foot of my bed.

"Are you ok Zoey?" Neferet asked.

"Yeah, just a bad dream I suppose"

"Zoeybird, you were fighting in your sleep, you were screaming. I couldn't wake you so I got Neferet to come." Grandma apologized.

I sat up in my bed and Neferet told me to slow down and to take it easy. Natasha would settle my dreaming, but this is something I needed to look into closer.

"What was your dream this morn?" Caren asked.

"My parents. My mom and my real Dad, Armand. Except…he wasn't my real dad. He changed into my step-father who pinned me down and forced me to drink the poison vile. It transformed me into this huge beast. That's when I woke up" I explained.

Grandma was in shock with her hand over her mouth almost in tears. Neferet touched my forehead with the back of her hand. It was cool to the touch so it felt soothing. "The dream is over Zoey" she calmed me as I was still breathing heavily.

"This dream, the poison turned you into the demon creature?" Caren asked.

"Yes, it was like a wolf-beast of some sort. Much bigger than a normal wolf, but I had the head of one, or at least transforming to look like one at least."

"A wolf?" Grandma asked. "Are you sure it was a wolf? They are normally protectors of the spirit world, not advocators for evil."

"That's what I looked like." I said shrugging my shoulders. Not a second later Aphrodite burst into the door.

"Oh Zoey!" she cried as she flung herself on top of me. "I was so frightened!"

"You saw the vision as well?" Caren asked.

"Yes, it was horrible. Terrible that her own parents would do such a thing to her" Aphrodite wiped a tear from her eyes as Darius burst into the room next.

"Love, I heard your cries, are you ok?" he asked lovingly and gently touched her face. I could feel Aphrodite swell with delight as Darius came to her.

"I'm fine. Zoey had a vision, and it seems like we're sharing them. It was horrible Darius! Zoey, do you really think that the poison would turn people into these demons?"

"I think the Demon may be a metaphor" Natasha added. "If we allow our students to be altered by the poison, they are susceptible to the Demons that may hurt them."

"Very good" a dark, deep eastern European voice congratulated. "I have seen very many of these creatures." It was the same man that I saw in the initiation. Vlad, Dracula, whatever you like to call him, he was here, in my room. "These Demons, they feed on weakness and blood. The smell of blood entices them as it does us. They are thirsty and are never relieved of their hunger" He smiled a toothy smile.

"What are they?" I asked him.

"They are what you call Drekavac's or most commonly known as Death Eaters. They are nasty and vile creatures. They say they come from the depths of hell. Satan's spawn. Unbaptised children that had died whose souls are angry." Vlad explained.

"Unbaptised children…" I trailed off in thought. "That makes so much sense. We are children of the night, children of Nyx, we are not children of the human God, and therefore most of us weren't baptized. I suppose now the People of the Faith know this and they are turning children into these monsters that feed on death and anguish. Many would have angry souls for being killed by people they felt loved them" I felt a stir in my chest that told me that I was on the right track.

"How do we defeat such a thing? And why does it attack us and not the People of the Faith?" Caren asked.

"Only when it finds peace does it die, or unless you find it's human form and baptize it. I know it seems quiet simple, but I warn you, it is not. I have been fortunate to never come across a Drekavac in my existence, but I'm afraid that I know other's that have and they have not lived to tell the tale." Vlad continued. "Their claws are poisonous. These People of the Faith must be strong in deed in order to control these beasts for one scratch will kill you. It seems that they have developed a way to make the beasts work for them, not against them."

"How would we even go about finding the human form of these children? Wouldn't their human form be within the beast?" Grandma asked.

"Not always. The beasts only come out during the evening hours, the night is what they cherish because they are easily concelled. However, during the day, they shift back into their human form, but the human form is dead, and can even decay." Vlad continued.

"Who would keep the body of a child decomposing?" Neferet asked.

"A church would" I added. "The People of the Faith. I bet that's how they get to control them too. They have their human forms."

"Very inquisitive Zoey" Caren said. "We will look into it, however, I don't feel it's safe for anyone to leave the grounds until we have further information"

"I believe your right, until we know that these things are coming right for us, we need to stay on the grounds. Zoey, we'll need you to cast a circle of protection on the grounds this evening. For now, you should rest." Neferet instructed. "Here, I brought you some blood, this might help"

Neferet handed me a goblet that contained nothing but blood. I was hesitant at first, staring down into the glass unsure if I wanted to drink it or not. Though it smelled sweet and intoxicating. "It is Stark's. He said you might need your strength, what a generous one he is"

I smiled and took the goblet in both hands. Stark was getting rid of all the 'bad blood', only to sacrifice this strength for my own. I gave the cup back to Neferet after I slurped down the blood and I felt quiet dizzy and electrified but all at the same time, very tired.

"Good Night Zoeybird, sleep well" Neferet said as she guided me down to my pillow and I fell fast asleep as everyone filed out of my room.


	11. Chapter 11

I woke feeling refreshed that evening. I felt like days had passed since I had last woken. I stretched my arms up and out with a big yawn. I turned to see that Grandma wasn't in her bed, I didn't worry so much, she probably got up and made herself something to eat and is probably walking around the grounds doing whatever it is that she does. I got up and used the bathroom, washed my face, brushed my teeth. I checked myself out in the mirror, I even looked refreshed. No strange visitors in my sleep or in the mirror this early evening. That was a plus. I walked out of the bathroom and grabbed some jeans and t-shirt, pulled my hair up into a messy knot on top of my head and walked out of the door.

I decided to check on Aphrodite, she'd been having the same visions as I and I just wanted to be sure she was ok. As I got to her door and before I knocked she opened it. "That's the only advantage to this bond is that I can sense when you're coming, so I had time to get dressed…"

I laughed and walked in the door. "I can't stay long; I'm meeting Erik for breakfast…" I started.

"Ahh, how's that going for you? You know your treading on a silver lining Zoey when it comes to those two guys. You just should have Darius hook you up with a Son of Erebus and get over Stark and Erik all together." Aphrodite said as she sat down at her vanity and began her 'beauty ritual' she called it, applying moisturizers, foundation, and conceler.

"You know your still a very beautiful girl without all the makeup" I pointed out as I put my hands on her shoulders and looked at her in the mirror.

"Well, thank you for the compliment, but I don't leave my room without my face on" she smiled.

"So you're ok? I know my dreams have been really weird."

"I want to talk to you about that Zoey" she turned around on her little stool and placed her hands in her lap. "Why do you think your having these visions and they don't just come from me?"

"I don't know, maybe Nyx is trying to show me something? I have no clue Aphrodite."

"I think something is up with your real parents and we need to find out quick. Usually my visions are days or hours, weeks or even years ahead of when it's supposed to happen. We need to find out now if they are planning anything and if anything's already been put into place."

"I think your right. Unfortunately, I doubt my mom would want to talk to me, considering what happened in the Tunnels when she saw my Dad. I'm surprised at least that they weren't eaten by the Raven Mockers." I laughed.

"Well, that would have saved us a lot of grief in the long run if they did!" Aphrodite's eye brows arched high as a mischievous grin crossed her face.

"You're bad!" I laughed with her, "Ok, well, I came to check that you were ok, I'm going to get something to eat…I'm starved."

"You mean some one?" Aphrodite laughed once again.

"What?"

"Someone to eat…not thing. One. Your precious Stark has found donors for all of you. I hate to say that I really envy you all, but I don't want to chance drinking straight from a donor right now. That's still a bit…ewe to me." Aphrodite's nose curled up.

"Well, that's fine. After breakfast though, I want to call you all together, you, the prefect, and we're going to cast a protection spell around the grounds, ok?"

"Fine, I'll get the stuff and we'll meet you at the east wall?"

"Perfect, thanks my charming Consulate!" I said as I turned to leave.

As I was walking from Aphrodite's room back to my own I met Erik in the hall. "Well, good timing you have."

"Yes Pad wan, feed we must" he said laughing at his semi-yoda impression. The boy was hopelessly in love with Star Wars. "Checking on the wicked witch of the west?"

"Be nice" I told him. "She's my consulate now and we both had a semi rough night last night"

"Another dream?" Erik asked.

"Yeah, and it wasn't pretty. It seems as though Aphrodite and I are sharing visions as we have them."

"Ahh, what was this one about?"

"Let's go get something…or by Aphrodite's words, someone to eat and I'll tell you all about it." I said as I walked in my room to grab my purse then back out again to close my door. Erik and I set off to the dining hall, where the note on the common rooms said there would be donors for anyone who required blood for nourishment and to meet in the Professors Lounge.

On our walk to the dining hall I told Erik all about my dream. He listened with interest and didn't butt in at all; he let me give him all the details and listened with an earnest ear.

"I think Aphrodite might actually be right Z. I think you need to talk to your parents." He suggested.

"How? John would tell me that if any demon came after me, it would because I'm Satan's Child anyways and my mother would just agree with him."

"What about Heath?" Erik suggested.

My eyes veered to him in surprise, "Heath? I haven't spoken to him in weeks, not since…well, the whole thing before Kalona. I don't think he'd do me any favors after what we've been through"

"But it's worth a shot right? He did always tell you he'd do anything for you. Now's a chance to take him up on the offer" Erik shrugged. "It's worth a try"

I thought about it for a minute, maybe he was right. Maybe it was worth a try to talk to Heath and see if he could talk to my mom and step-loser dad to see if they were up to anything. I would soon realize that my plan would unravel all too soon because as soon as we entered the dining hall and up to the Professors Lounge, Heath was standing right in the middle with all the donors that were lined up like a buffet table.

"Zo!" Heath yelled and waved frantically at me. I just gave a sideways glance to Erik who was trying to contain his laughter. I saw Stark in the corner and gave him quiet the evil look; he just shrugged his shoulders like he didn't know what he'd done. Oh would he know soon enough.

I walked to Heath and pulled him out of the line, of course cutting in front of a red fledgling that might possibly liked Heath and hissed at me. I turned to face her face to face and stared her down and she backed away. "What are you doing here?!" I demanded as I took hold of his muscular arm and I noticed that he had bite marks along his neck.

"I joined this group online of people who like Vampires; I figured I would check it out. Well they told us about the House of Night have contaminated blood and would need donors that were willing for the vampires to bite them in order for them to get nourishment. I figured I would be able to see you, so I agreed to come. I believe that's your friend over in the corner right?" he pointed to Stark.

"Yeah, but why did you let other people bite you Heath?"

"Well, if they need it, I have it, I'll help in any way I can. As you've told me a million times in the past, we're no longer together. I get that now." His face drew to a close and suddenly his eyes got hard.

"I'm sorry Heath. Ironically I was just talking about you and was planning to give you a call." I smiled.

"Well, why don't you let me know now what you need and I can get back to what I was here for. Unless you need some as well" he gave his cocky smile. I looked up at Erik who wasn't very happy about this situation and almost snarled.

"Ahh, big boyfriend Vampire here doesn't seem to like me too much" Heath pointed to Erik. "What's his deal?" he leaned in and whispered into my ear. I couldn't help but to chuckle a bit.

"You've been a menace since Zoey first got here." Erik said not even playing off that he didn't hear Heath at all. "I'm not entirely surprised by you being here, but I don't like it either you being so…cozy."

I gave Erik a look with my eye brow arched then rolled my eyes. I wasn't going to get into this again. Here comes the jealously. "Come boys, let's feed Erik and we'll discuss with Heath what we were talking about"

I guided Heath and Erik to a nearby table and sat down. Heath took out a small razor and held it up to his neck; I took his hand and told him to stop. "No, you don't need to cut yourself." I looked at him and grabbed his hand. I flipped it over palm up and raised it to my mouth. I took one last look at Heath before I chomped down on his fleshy thumb. Electricity buzzed through me. I felt desire and heat, passion all rolled up into one. I didn't want to stop. Erik grabbed his other hand and did the same, thoroughly enjoying the fact he was feeding on the human he despised so much.

Heath's head tilted back as he moaned in delight. When we feed from a human, it sends waves of pleasure not only through us, but through the human as well. When I got my fill I licked the wounds close and licked my lips, hardly able not to notice the massive erection that Heath had as Erik finished up with his "breakfast".

"Wow!" Heath let out. "I'd always imagined a three-some, but not with another dude…but hey, that was…extraordinary!"

I just laughed and Erik even managed to chuckle a bit. "Ok, so what do you need from me now?" Heath asked.

I looked at Erik one last time and he nodded to me, "This is going to sound ridiculous, but I need to ask you a huge favor"

"Zo, what favor could you ask that I wouldn't do? I've always done anything for you" his eyes gleamed in mine and there I saw the boy that I first fell in love with years ago. I smiled at him and cast my eyes down.

"I need you to visit my mom and John"

"Those wacko's! Are you serious? What for?"

"I need to know if they are involved with something. I can't call myself because they would never tell me, but they might tell you, or maybe you could use your incredible breaking in techniques to find out for me"

"Hmm" Heath scratched his chin, "And what do I get in return?"

"You'll get to live!" Erik boomed and leaned over Heath.

"Hey, Hey!" Heath put his hands up in defense. "I don't mean any disrespect, I just mean, and what do I get if I do this for her?"

"Well, you'll get to live, like Erik said, and I promise not to bother you again" I said.

"Zo" Heath leaned in close to me, "I've never wanted you to not bother me again. I've always loved you, no matter what. We've been together since we were kids! It kills me that we don't talk anymore."

"Ok, I'll make you a deal, if you do this for me, I promise to keep in touch…BUT, you have to promise that you won't be running over here all the time and trying to win me back. I can't be in a relationship with you anymore Heath. You're a Human. I'm a Vampire, and now I'm High Priestess."

"Oh really! Well congrats! I heard that High Priestess's can have human lovers though" Heath winked at Erik and Erik growled back.

"Ok, this is enough, are you going to do this for her or not?" Erik commanded. I pulled on his arm.

"Sit down Erik!" I yelled at him, loud enough for the whole room to hear. "Now, Heath, I will not take a human lover, nor do I have a lover at all right now" I eyed Erik. "Nor do I plan on taking one any time soon. I can't afford to have you, Erik or Stark distracting me with notes of love and promises. I can't do it right now. But I promise, as High Priestess, and as your friend of many years, I will keep in contact with you. Now will you do me this favor?"

Heath looked at me then back at Erik, "Fine…what do I need to find out?"

I smiled and proceeded to give Heath all the details what he was to ask about, what to look for. He even offered to follow John to his People of the Faith meetings and go to the church to sniff around. I tried to tell him that might be a little too dangerous, but you know how boys are, they'll never listen. Once we got the plan laid in place, Heath would sniff around, if he found anything he was to let me know immediately. I told him to especially look for small vials of what looked like blood and to obtain a sample but under no circumstances open the vile or smell or drink it. He understood and once we were finished we parted ways. Erik and I left the dining hall and headed outside where I was going to have many words with him about how he acted in there.

The moment we were out of the dining hall and I scanned the courtyard to make sure no one was outside I pulled Erik to the side. He thought I was playing around with him and he wrapped his arms around me. I quickly threw them back at him, "Listen to me Erik, the whole reason we are done with is because of this jealously. You seriously need to back off. I won't have you making threats to Heath, and I don't care what kind of relationship I've had with him in the past. You will not under any circumstances threaten other people's lives unless they've directly threatened yours. Do you hear me?" I scolded him.

"Yes, I'm sorry Priestess" he cast his eyes down in shame. I was furious with him but I felt bad that I got on his case pretty hard.

"Look, sorry I yelled at you like that. It's just, if we want him to do this for us, and it was your idea to begin with, we can't just threaten him to do it." I grabbed his chin and made him looked at me, "I'm not with Heath anymore, I don't want to be with Heath anymore and I won't ever be with Heath anymore. You need to get past that."

"I'm sorry too. I was rash and I deserved the scolding. I just…I just feel so much for your Z, that any other guy looking at you, touching you, even playing with you makes me jealous. I'm envious of the attention he gets over me."

"It's the jealousy that drove me away from you Erik. If you can get past that, you wouldn't have to be envious of my attention."

"And what of Stark?" he asked.

"What of him?"

"You and him? You were bonded. You bonded because I deceived you because of my own jealousy. There isn't a night that goes by that I don't dream about what I did and cry. I was the reason we are apart now and you were with him, the whole reason you have feelings for him is because of me."

"Well, yes and no. It is your fault for why we are not together anymore, but it's not your fault that I have feelings for Stark. I've had feelings for him since I first met him. I can't describe it, it's instantaneous. There is just something about him that I feel drawn to."

"Do you feel drawn to me?" Erik stepped closer looming over me and I looking up into his beautiful blue eyes.

"I do, but it's a different draw. I just don't know what the difference between the two is." I looked away from his eyes as he pulled my chin back towards him and he kissed me softly.

"And now?"

"A kiss isn't going to make me feel any different Erik."

"Well, I know one thing we haven't done that might change your mind" he suggested.

I laughed and pushed away from him for a moment, "See, the whole pressure thing, jealousy, that's the reason we aren't together. If I wanted to have sex I would have sex. I only slept with Stark because I was getting back at you."

The moment I said the last bit, Stark had walked out of the dining hall and walk standing right behind me. I only knew that because I saw Erik's attention being drawn away from me. The moment I said what I did, I turned to see Stark looking almost lifeless standing on the sidewalk. I wanted to put my foot in my mouth. Once again, way to go Zoey, screwing up everything once again.

"Is that what I was to you? Just a pay back? A rebound?" Stark asked and obviously hurt.

"No, that's not what I meant!" I walked towards him.

"Then what did you mean then? You said it yourself; you only had sex with me to get back at Erik."

"It's difficult to explain"

"No it's not, it's simple. I chose you because I had a connection with you. I knew it the moment that I met you in the cafeteria when I moved here. I knew when I was dying on the ground of the field house and you kissed me. I knew there was a connection between us Zoey. And you go and say something like that about me? You had no feelings for me, you were just getting back at your boyfriend for sleeping with your best friend!"

My heart jabbed as his words hit me like a knife. Tears started to swell in my eyes, "Stark, it's not like that!" I pleaded with him.

"I thought I knew you better Zoey, I guess I was wrong" Stark said angrily and turned to walk away.

I collapsed on the ground with my head in my hands. Blood was coming out of ever orifice that it possibly could. I could feel Erik move behind me and he wrapped his arms around me. I tensed up and shrugged him off of me. "I don't deserve either of you. I'm a mess! I'm a horrible High Priestess! I've done nothing but hurt everyone around me!" I screamed.

"Z…no, you're not horrible." Erik tried to comfort.

"Just go. Leave me alone." I mumbled as I got up and walked away from Erik leaving him standing alone on the sidewalk. I headed across the field towards the horse stables. I hadn't visited Persephone in a while and I desperately needed to calm down and vent my frustrations.


	12. Chapter 12

I ran as fast as I could to the stables. I wanted to get away for a minute from everyone. I didn't want to hear anything from Erik about how now we could finally be together. I wasn't sure I even wanted to be with him. I knew I had feelings for him, but I don't know if I want to always have a play in his jealous nature. Then there's Aphrodite, she's my consulate and I know I can't keep any secrets from her, but she would just tell me to get rid of them both. Probably good advice right now, but not what I wanted to hear. I was upset. I said something out of spite and Stark caught it and now he hated me. Or at least I thought he did. I walked in the dark stables and over to Persephone's stall. She neighed and kicked her hooves in delight. It had been a while since I came to visit.

"She misses you" a familiar and sweet voice said. I turned to see Lenobia leaning against the stall as I was petting Persephone on her neck.

"I know" my voice was glum and low as I turned back to look at my horse.

"Is something wrong Zoey?" Lenobia asked.

I sat on the hay bale next to Persephone's stall and slouched. "Everything! I can't do anything right it seems."

Lenobia walked over and sat down with me, "Darling, nothing is ever what it seems. Tell me what is bothering you and hopefully I can help" she tucked a hair out of my face and behind my ear.

I told her all about Erik, Stark, Heath, the jealously, the sex, my confused feelings for both of them, what happened tonight. How my High Priestess hood is not starting off so well. She listened earnestly, nodded when she understood and arched her eyebrow when she thought something sounded a bit off.

"I just don't know what to do now. Stark is mad at me, and I didn't even mean what I said"

"Then why did you say it?" Lenobia asked.

"Because I was mad at Erik, I was being spiteful, it wasn't true. I even told Erik how my feelings ran deep for Stark since the moment we met. And Stark came out just as I was trying to be spiteful to Erik and it backfired on me."

"Zoey, you will learn it's going to be much easier if you are just forward and honest. Being spiteful is nothing different than what Erik did to Heath when he threatened him. You're trying to make him a guilty party to your own choices. You need to stand firm and tall for what you believe in." Lenobia patted me on the knee. "Come, let's take a ride, you'll feel much better."

I went and got Persephone's riding gear and Lenobia let her out of her stall and was walking around the horse checking her hooves. "She's all ready to go" Lenobia gave me the green light to ride. "Take her for a run through the woods. You'll find it refreshing for you both"

The moment I was up on the horse, Lenobia smacked Persephone's rear and she took off from the stables as quick as lightning. Lenobia was right; I was feeling refreshed and better being on Persephone running through the woods. We ran and ran as fast as the wind. I felt my hair whip around my face and the wind sting my eyes, but I felt free. For once, I felt to myself and no one else. As we turned to come back to the stables I saw a light on in the field house. I felt my heart pang as I knew who would be in there. I was right as we started to draw near and I could hear the wisp of the arrow flying in the air towards its target.

Persephone's hooves clacked on the walkway at the entrance of the field house. I jumped down and lead her to the door and tied off her reins as I stepped inside. Stark was standing about 100 yards away from the target, It was even hard for me to see, but dead center were arrows upon arrows upon arrows. All splitting the next to hit the target dead on.

Without even looking at me he spoke, "What do you want Zoey?" and he let go of the arrow as it flew towards the target once again.

"I wanted to apologize. What you heard did not come out right. It wasn't meant for you to hear like that."

"What does it matter, you said it, you'd have to mean it" He drew another arrow, still not even turning to look at me. I could feel my tears swelling up again as I walked closer to him.

"That's where you are wrong. It matters a great deal to me. You mean a great deal to me. I said that to be spiteful to Erik, not because I didn't feel anything for you."

Stark turned away from his target, arrow ready and bow drawn, he looked the other direction away from me and down to the floor. He released his arrow and it hit the target once again and he put his bow down. He stood there not saying anything and still looking away from me.

"I'm sorry. James…please, I…" I started to say before I started to choke up. "I…"

That's when he turned to me and strode to me until he was right in front of me. "You what?" his eyes were searching and waiting.

"I love you" my heart was beating a million miles a minute and I felt my spirit leap and I knew the words rang true. "I love you James"

Starks face was still solid, cold and hard. The only way to see his emotion was through his eyes, which were starting to tear up and getting softer and softer. "Zoey…" he said before I cut him off by pulling him towards me and kissing him on the lips. I felt his body relax and his arms come up to hold my shoulders as he kissed me back. I opened my mouth so his tongue could explore my mouth and mine his.

I finally pulled away from him, "I'm so sorry!" the tears were starting to flow out now.

He hushed me and wiped a tear away with his thumb and then tasted the blood that was dripping down his hand. "Just stop. No more tears" he said searching my face and finally I got a smile glimpse of his ever famous smirk that I did love so much. I felt as ease now. As if something heavy was weighing on my soul and has now been lifted. I knew now, I was finally being honest with myself, not just with everyone else. I really did love Stark, so why hide it? My only problem, I did love Erik too, but there were way too many issues to worry about him right now.

I turned when I heard Persephone neigh outside and Lenobia was there in the doorway holding her reins and smiling. "I see you took care of your problem?"

"Thank you" I said and Lenobia left leaving Stark and I, in the same place that we found that we had a connection, and repairing that connection once again.

Stark intertwined his fingers with mine and held my hand close to his heart. "This is where you are, and will always be" he said as he bent to kiss me again on the lips, ever so lightly. "So" he started to pull away "Does this mean that you and me are….you know…back together?"

I half heartedly smiled at me, "I'm not sure what it means James. I know how I feel about you. I don't need to label you as my boyfriend to know that."

Stark stepped away and nodded his head, "I see"

"See what?" I asked as my brows furrowed.

"You don't want to be attached; you still want to keep the door open." He rubbed his chin shaking his head.

"Not like that!" I took a deep breath and just shook my head in disbelief, "I don't think it's wise of me to be attached to anyone right now. You know how I feel about you and vise versa."

"Yeah, but I also know you have feelings for Erik too" He turned his back and started to walk towards the target at the end of the field house and then he stopped and turned around, "Do you have any idea how hard it is for me? I feel it in my soul that we are supposed to be together and yet you deny me because of my brother, who not only possesses qualities that you find unfavorable, but he slept with your best friend out of spite because you wouldn't sleep with him. What does that tell you? Is that really love, Zoey?"

I bit my lower lip and shook my head. I knew he was right. When things went south, who did I turn to, Stark. Who was jealous and pushy, Erik. Granted he had been consumed with darkness and didn't realize what he was doing with Stevie Rae, I was willing to forgive that because of my own mistakes.

"How can I not forgive him for doing something that ultimately did to him first? Would that be fair of me when he was willing to forgive me?"

"Did he really forgive you, or did he just tell you that? How many times did you tell me he was constantly throwing you up against the wall in order to ravish you?" Stark ran to me, quick just like Darius and threw me up against the wall with my hands pinned back by my head. "Do you like this? Do you like how rough this is?" he let me down and walked away, "If I was you, I'd almost call that rape, not passion."

I just stood there in disbelief of what he was saying, but somehow it did make sense. I went along with it though, so I couldn't call Erik a rapist because he wanted to have sex in the tunnels. In the moment, I probably would have.

"What we have Zoey" Stark pointed between him and I, "is passion, is love. That is not what I see when I see you and him together. I see a man and his prized possession. That's what you are to him, a possession. Your not you when your with him, you're his. He will always try to get you to give up everything for him, but I would never ask you to give away anything you wouldn't freely give away on your own."

I couldn't speak. My mouth was like it was clamped shut. I wanted to tell him he was wrong, but my stomach started to churn something awful. As there truth in what Stark was telling me. Was I making a big mistake by holding onto hope that a nicer Erik, the Erik I first knew was still in there? I had noticed the pressure to give into his sexual appetite. I remember Aphrodite telling me when we were getting ready for the initiation that Erik used to have an insatiable sexual appetite. It was like he was never satisfied with what he had and always wanted more. That's when she referenced when I first saw her and him together, in the hall way. My first day at the House of Night, I thought she was throwing herself at him, but she was just trying to please him. He had pushed her away when he saw me. She said he had an unhealthy obsession with me, but never thought much to it since she valued herself higher than I was at the time.

"Your right" I said. "I'm blind, I've been blind the whole time. I just refused to see it because I always want to be able to see the good in people."

Stark walked back up in front of me and touched my face with his hand, "There is nothing wrong with trying to see good in people. If you hadn't seen it in me, I wouldn't be here right now."

"I just never put two and two together." I looked up into his eyes, and then I knew. I heard the little whisper in the back of my ears, _kiss him_

I reached up, grabbed his face with my hands and kissed him deeply. "Thank you"

"Your welcome" he smiled.

"Oh crap! What time is it?" I searched his arms for a watch but found none.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"The circle! Damnit I forgot all about it! Everything with Heath, then Erik and now you, I totally forgot I told everyone to be at the east wall!"

"Then let's get you there" Stark grabbed my hand and I summoned Air to our aid in order to fly us to the east wall in record time.

We flew to a running pace when we arrived at the east wall, greeted by very inpatient prefect members. Aphrodite flipped her hair and walked right up to us, "Your late"

"I know" was all I said, but mentally, I was explaining for my absence. Aphrodite just looked at me, then at Stark, gave him a long and careful look and then shrugged her shoulders.

Everyone was in their place and had their candles ready. Damien looked bored and disinterested. Stevie Rae looked like she just woke up, but a little pink from the blood that she had recently. Grandma was in the center of the circle at the offering table with a bundle of herbs that I haven't seen before.

"What you got there Grandma?" I asked.

"Oh Zoeybird, I collected many important herbs for tonight's circle casting. This should help with your protection spell. Bay Leaves, White Snake Root, Horehound, Lavender and Sage. All ward off evil and help protect you, your health and this place. I have also retrieved some Dragon Blood incense which we should burn throughout the ceremony." She smiled.

"Thanks Grandma, that will make an excellent smug stick" I smiled and then turning to all my friends, "I'm sorry I am tardy everyone. There were some…matters that needed to be taken care of."

I walked to Damien, as I always started with the East, being Air first. "I call to the element of the East...to the white clouds wandering across a pale blue-violet sky… Air you, which lift them...to the breeze that blows across my face....to the currents that support the wings of the seagull...and the winds of our dreams...Air, which is mighty and strong and often leaves a path of destruction in its wake. Be with us here tonight and let the power of your force fill our lungs...open our minds...lift our souls…and protect us this chilly night. Air, we call you to this circle."

As I lit the candle a hurried gust of wind whipped around us, strong enough to blow us over yet gentle enough to keep us on our feet.

I walked to Shaunee, next being Fire which is to the South, "I call to the element of the South....to the dry heat of the desert that burns under a flaming orange sun...to the courage of the lion whose red mane leaps in flames about his face...to the energy that burns within us…to the heat the sears away impurities and ultimate destruction that follows. Fire, we call you to this circle."

Everyone felt the warmth that filled the circle as Shaunee's candle burst into flames even before I lit the candle. She grinned with excitement as the flames reached higher and bigger until it melted with wind and created a giant swirling ball of fire.

I was thankful that Erin was next, "I call to the West...to the deep blue-green waters that rush the shore...to the dolphin that weaves in and out of the purple sea, daring to explore the deepest waters...to the white steed twisting and leaping out of the waves as they crash towards the shore...to the awesome power that carries us forward spiraling and gasping, into a future we dare to meet….to the hard force of your waves and the angry thrust of your currents, Water, we call you to this circle."

Water burst out from underneath Erin and joined in the fire and wind tunnel, one never touching the other, all melting together.

I walked to Stevie Rae next who was itching in her station, "I call to the North…to the fields of winter grasses and the woods, blanketed in moss and the dry leaves of summer past...I call to the direction of mysteries...to the secrets held aloft by the jeweled tapestry of black tree limbs held against the night sky...I follow the silent trail of the stag as it weaves its way through the dark of the forest...I call to the stag who has mastered the power of silence. Earth, we call you to this circle."

The ground rocked and everyone began to scream as this was not what they may have expected. As soon as the ground finished trembling the scent of lavender and sweet grass filled the circle. I winked at Stevie Rae and turned to return to the center of the circle where the last element was to be called, Spirit.

"Spirit, without you we would cease to be living souls and be immediately resolved back into the other four elements which have no material life of their own in this world without you. Soul and Spirit are one and the same and are the animating, life-giving principle moving throughout all worlds, flowing into all worlds from the dreamer of the shining dream and flowing from all that is dreamed back to its dreamer. Spirit, you are the relationship we all have with Nyx. Spirit is the means whereby the all communicates with Nyx. Through you Spirit we communicate with all that is. We enter into communion with the all and with Nyx. The all and Nyx enter into communion with us through Spirit. We call you to this circle."

I felt my heart leap out of my chest as a static electricity filled my body and radiated throughout the whole circle. I lifted my arms up in the air, "The circle is complete and only with permission can those who wish to do us harm may cross these walls. Air, we ask you to blow away all bad conscious to those who might come at evil's will. Fire, burn away the passion of dealing with death and mark those who seek to trespass onto our lands. Water, fill their bodies with fluids and drown them in their own misery. Earth, bury and conceal those who walk with hatred. Maybe they finally see the darkness behind their ways. Spirit, keep us uplifted and give us hope, led those within the spirit world out of our realm and keep us safe."

Once I finished with my saying Grandma came behind me and blew smoke from her gathered herbs at each one of us. As she did, she walked to the walls of the grounds and blew the smoke up into the walls. "Bid you spirits stay away, you will not harm me, nor friends in my company or any that dwell within these walls. Goddess of the Heavens hear my call" she chanted wafting the smoke in the direction of the wall.

When Grandma finished with the smudge sticks, I grabbed the goblet that sat on the table and bit into my wrist, "Goddess Nyx, I offer myself and pledge myself to you. Help me protect these students and to defeat whatever element that maybe be in effect to destroy us" I let the blood drop into the goblet then licked my wound close. I proceeded to pass the goblet around to everyone to drink. Once we concluded the protection ceremony I released the elements of their duties and we closed the circle. I felt all energy drain from me at that moment and felt overwhelmingly tired.

"Seems to me like you need a snack" a familiar voice came from behind me. I turned around to see Heath, walking around the grounds.

"What are you doing out here?" I said in a low voice, hopefully no one would really notice that it was him out there.

"Do you need more? I can give you more?" He offered tilting his head to the side.

"No! You promised Heath. Now what are you doing out here?" I commanded from him.

"I'm sorry, I was just walking around. They gave me some food and something to drink and told me to go outside for a bit. I saw some people over here and I came to check it out. I didn't realize it was you…geesh"

"Sorry, I didn't mean to jump all over you, I'm just not…used to you being here." I had to chose my words carefully. I wouldn't make the same mistake twice.

"Hey Heath!" Stark said as he came in and shook Heath's hand. "How ya doin'? Did you get plenty to eat? Drink?"

"Yeah man, I'm cool! Thanks so much. I was just…catching up with Zo here." Heath smiled. I rolled my eyes.

"I'm sure you guys have a lot of catching up to do, Zoey, why don't you go show him Persephone? He might enjoy a bit of hard labor" Stark laughed. I gave him one of my silly annoyed faces and took Heath's arm and tangled mine with his.

"Do you want to see my horse?" I asked

"That's ok, maybe another time, I'd just like to sit and talk for a bit if you don't mind?"

I just shook my head, "No that's fine too, come, we'll go sit under the big oak in the courtyard. There is a great view of the night sky there."

We were walking to the courtyard when I heard a small rustling behind me. I stopped in my tracks and Heath looked at me, "What's wrong?"

"I think someone is following us" I stayed still and looked in both directions. I turned around to see someone far in the distance, but the sound seemed much closer than that person was. I brushed it aside and continued walking. We were almost to the tree. We talked about what we'd been up to lately, how Heath had been coping since the whole Tunnel thing. How is parents were and such. He asked me about Erik, and I kind of avoided the question, asking him one in turn.

"Ok now, your not answering me, so is that Erik guy your boyfriend?" he asked again for the hundredth time.

"No, Erik is not my boyfriend." I said.

"Is Stark?"

"Not really. I wouldn't say that I have a boyfriend, but I have boys that I like, I just can't seem to chose which one."

"I think you shouldn't chose either!" Heath said which surprised me because he seemed to be on good terms with Stark.

"Why so?" I asked interested.

"Because we should get back together"

"Oh Lord!" I rolled my eyes, "Seriously? Seriously? You're going to bring this up again? Damnit Heath!"

Heath was rolling on the ground laughing a ton, "I was only kidding. I wanted to see what your reaction would be! HA! I was right!"

I scowled at him and pursed my lips. I wasn't happy that I'd been tricked, but I let it slide since I figured he really was only kidding.

"Boo!" Erik said as he came right of out the shadows behind Heath and I. I let out a little yip but Heath just chuckled a bit before his face got serious. "What's goin' on you two? Not getting too cozy are we?"

"Wouldn't you like to know" Heath spat back at him. He gave Erik a cold glare and Erik's eyes narrowed at Heath before they opened brightly at me.

"So, Z, I was thinking, I have class tomorrow and I wanted to know if maybe you'd want to come and be a guest actress? You were actually pretty good the last time that we did some acting in the class" He winked.

"I'll have to see, I think Neferet has some stuff for me to do since classes start back tomorrow, and I have so much to prepare for the Parent Visit next weekend. But I'll let you know" I smiled at him.

"Oh" his voice got small, "Sure, no problem. We're working on the play all week, so anytime, just let me know"

"Yeah, I'd like that" I smiled at him. It was an awkward few minutes with us all just sitting there staring at each other, not sure what to say to the next. Heath eventually stood up.

"Well, it was nice to catch up Zo. I'm glad you're doin' alright. Erik" Heath nodded his head.

Erik just nodded back and once Heath was gone he turned to me, "I saw you both walking towards the trees, there isn't something going on between you guys is there?"

I just rolled my eyes, "Seriously? No. We were just talking and catching up. Erik, you forget that I've known Heath my WHOLE life! Of course we're going to be friendly to one another and play around, but that don't mean that I'm going to jump his bones!" I stood up and dusted myself off.

"I didn't mean it like that…I just…"

"Just what? Spit it out Erik, just what? Tell me how you feel, really. I want to know" I stood there awaiting his answer. He seemed to fidget for a bit before finally letting out a breath.

"I just don't like him; I don't think you should hang around him anymore." Erik slammed his hands into his pockets.

"And since when does a Professor tell a High Priestess whom she can and can't associate with? I think that's your little jealous streak running in and you better get it in check."

I turned my back and walked away from him, ignoring the calls of my name, I walked back to the dining hall to be with my friends, enjoy a nice 'meal' and possibly unwind for a bit before all shit hit the fan.


	13. Chapter 13

I sat down hunched over with a major scowl on my face, I was sure of that. Shaunee and Erin just looked at me with a gapping mouth and didn't dare to speak anything. Damien eyed me suspiciously and Stevie Rae munched away at her food not bothering a care to look in my direction. It was only Aphrodite who spoke up. "I told you"

"I don't want to talk about it Aphrodite"

"Well, if you don't say something, people are going to start thinking that you're the new evil Neferet, buck it up. You can't make people change Zoey, he is what he is."

"Who's what?" asked Shaunee, and Erin for once just perked her ears and didn't say anything. Damien turned his attention in my direction as did Stevie Rae.

"Erik Night. She's having issues with his jealous streak and she's mad at him because he thinks he can pretty much command her into do what he wants." Aphrodite explained.

"Thanks, I didn't think I was able to speak for myself. I'm glad I have you to speak for me" I snapped at Aphrodite.

"No problem, anytime!" she smiled and went back to eating her salad.

"I'm going to get something to eat…" I said as I got up from the table, completely frustrated.

"I'll come with you" Damien said as he also got up from the table.

We walked towards the Professors lounge in order to get our 'bite'. Thank Nyx that Heath wasn't there. I don't know what I'd do if I saw him now. Not that I was mad at him, I was just mad at the world at the moment. "Why do you guys think that you can control anything we do and whoever we are friends with?" I snapped at Damien. "It's not fair! I can't have a single relationship with any guy without someone getting jealous or angry or envious!"

"Well, I really hope that the whole relationship with any guy doesn't include me, since obviously I'm not a threat of any kind." Damien smiled.

I just laughed. "Yeah, you're excluded. But why do guys do that? Heath tried to do that to me, Erik is doing it to me. The only person that doesn't is Stark."

"If you would like some, somewhat manly advice, I would just say that jealousy is normal. Erik is jealous of your relationship with Heath and it threatens him and whatever possibility he has with a relationship with you."

"I've told him over and over that I can't be in a relationship with Heath, I'm not interested, I don't want to be in a relationship with Heath. I just want to be his friend, we've known each other since grade school. We grew up together. How can I just wipe him from my life? I can't!"

"Well, it sounds like Erik has some security issues. He's a great guy though Z. He's always been polite and gentlemanly to you and to everyone. He's a fun guy to hang out with. Maybe he's just jealous because he's afraid he'll lose you again." Damien said as he walked towards a small male boy donor and took his hand, "Hey there…" he said in a sultry voice. The boy was almost enthralled with Damien, as if under a spell and followed him to a nearby table.

I took a look at the donors as I was thinking of what Damien was saying. How could Erik be jealous and worried about losing me when he doesn't even have me to begin with. I caught the eye of a young girl, she looked frightened. I tilted my head and looked at her. She looked dirty, as if running through the woods somewhere. I walked up to her and her eyes froze on mine as if she was ready to run away. "Hey, what's your name?"

"Coraline" she answered in a small voice.

"Hi, Coraline. I'm Zoey. Are you ok? You look a bit scared."

"Yeah, I guess. I've never done this before" she said tucking a strand of her dark chestnut hair behind her ear. She was a small frame girl, shorter than I, about five feet flat. Her hair was chin length, but just long enough for her to tuck away. She reminded me a lot of a Cherokee a-yu-li (young girl) with the features that she bore. She had steel grey eyes with dark as night irises, a round face, a strong nose and lushish lips.

"No, I mean, you look like your afraid of something. If you don't mind me asking, what are you doing here?"

"I am afraid of something. Something horrible. If you've seen the things I've seen, you'd be scared too." The girl said, her eyes told her entire story. Grandma always said that the eyes were windows to the soul and each person told a story, unique to themselves.

"Do you want to sit down? We can talk about it if you like? I am the High Priestess here, I can help you if you need it." I offered my hand to her. She reached out to take mine but jerked back again.

"Are you going to bite me?" her voice cracked.

"Not if you don't want me to, but if you don't mind, I'll need someone to feed from. Do you mind if I bring someone quickly and then we can talk?"

"S-Sure." She cast her eyes down and went to a table close by. I just picked the next donor in line who happened to be someone I happened to know. Kayla. My ex-best friend. My ex-best friend that the moment I left for the House of Night went running to Heath. Some friend. I figured this was a perfect opportunity to vent my frustrations and get some nourishment out of it too.

"Kayla" I said. Normally I always called her K, but I figured it was a time to be more formal.

"Zoey, nice to see you here" her voice was raspy and mean.

"Well, I would think you'd know I was here. And now I'm the High Priestess so…" I trailed off. "Come, I'm hungry" I growled. Kayla's eyes went wide, I could tell that she was now nervous about what was going to happen.

"Your not going to turn me are you?" she asked.

"Turn you? How? You can't just be turned into a vampire Kayla by having one bite you" I rolled my eyes.

"Your not going to kill me are you?"

"Kill you? No, but I wouldn't mind feeding off of you" I grabbed her hand and turned her palm over. I could sense her pulse getting higher and higher as her heart rate increased. I could feel my bloodlust climbing and my desire to bite her. I loathed her now, so this was sweet justice for what she's done to me. You might even call it Karma. I gave her a sly look and I bit down on the fleshy part of her thumb. She yelped like a little dog who had their tail stepped on. I kept a firm grip on her hand so she couldn't pull away. After I was sated I threw her hand back at her, "Go, I have no use of you anymore"

I grabbed her hand, her breathing still labored as the desire from the feeding was subsiding. She took a deep breath and walked away. I turned to see Damien just smiling at me and I grabbed him as he was done with his 'dinner'. "Come, I want you to meet someone"

I brought Damien over to the table where Coraline was sitting. "Hi Coraline, this is my friend Damien, do you mind if he sits and talks with us?"

She just shook her head. I guess I was going to have to start this conversation. "So, Coraline, how did you come to the House of Night?"

"I ran"

Damien and I just looked at each other, each of our brows furrowed. "What do you mean you ran? Are you not with a group here? Did you not sign up to be a donor?"

"No, no group, I didn't sign up for anything. Some woman told me to go upstairs; I guess I just got mixed in with everyone else." She brushed her hair to the side, her long bangs finally parting from her forehead and that's when I saw it, the crescent moon.

"Coraline. Oh my Goddess, you're not to be up here! You've been marked." I gasped. Coraline reached up to her forehead and worry started to fill her.

"No, no. They'll come for me!" she started to get antsy and worried.

"Who will come for you?" Damien asked. "Don't fear, you're safe here."

"I'm not safe anywhere. They will find me and kill me!" she fumbled with her hands looking in all directions of the room. "You have to make it go away. Make the mark go away!"

I just looked at her and took a deep breath before replying, "I can't. Goddess Nyx gave you that mark for a specific reason. She marked you because you have purpose."

"You have to make it go away!" she started to cry. I turned to Damien and gave him a worried look.

"I'll go get Neferet" he said and got up from the table and out of the lounge.

"Coraline, what is after you? You can trust me" I reached my hand out for her's, which she didn't move and actually allowed me to touch her. "I won't hurt you, no one here will"

She grabbed my hand with both of her's, "Your marks are everywhere. Is it just on your face and your hands?"

I smiled at her, "No, actually about eighty percent of my body is covered in marks. I've been given special talents from the Goddess and she has been very good to me. Now, who is after you? I can't help if you don't tell me"

"The Elders. They killed my little sister. She was the first marked. Only 14 years of age. My mom thought that it was bad karma from all the drugs she had done in her youth that would have punished her children."

"The Elders? Who are they?" I had a feeling I knew, which means that my visions were close to happening now than later.

"The Elders of the People of the Faith. My family belongs to the church. I was in the youth group. I attended church every Sunday. Why would God punish me so as to have my marked by the Devil?"

"Oh, Coraline, there is much for you to learn. Our Goddess Nyx is anything but the Devil. She is a kind, loving and caring Goddess who truly loves her children."

"That's not what we've always been told. We've always been told that the House of Night was evil, they taught children how to do dealings with the devil, that you…" her voice got smaller, "kill people"

"Heavens no!" I was taken back by her statement. "We don't kill anyone! That's absurd!"

"Then why do you have all these human's here?" she inquired. This was going to be a sticky subject.

"Well, that's a funny and long story. Long story short, I and my friend Aphrodite, we can see visions, or at least I have recently, well anyways, we had a vision that our blood supply was tainted so we had to pitch everything. Normally we get our blood from a blood bank. So see, we don't need to feed off people. However, since we're taking precautions until we can figure out if our blood really was tainted, then we need donors for those of us that have changed because we require a certain amount a day in order to keep up our energy."

"So you bite people?" she inquired.

"Yes, for the time being. Hopefully not all that much longer. But it's not as bad as you may think."

"Zoey" Neferet called.

"Neferet, this is Coraline. She was in the line of donors and I noticed her mark"

"Oh dear child, I am so sorry! We did not expect you" Neferet looked puzzled. Normally the High Priestess always knew when a new child was coming.

"Why would you expect me?" Coraline asked.

"Normally, we can see if a new child has been marked and if they are to come to our House. However, I have had no such insight about your visit. All is well though, we will get you setup and we can arrange to have some stuff from your parents house moved…"

"No!" Coraline cut her off. "No, I don't need anything from my parents house." She said hurriedly.

Neferet looked puzzled and looked at me, "Her family are Elders of the PoF" I whispered to her. Neferet's eyes went wide in surprise.

"Well, let's get you all settled, come with me and I will find an open room for you and introduce you to your new roommate. Zoey, would you take care of the particulars"

I nodded my head and Neferet took Coraline down the hall, Coraline looked back at me with worried eyes, I mouthed to her, "It's ok" and she smiled back before turning her head back in the direction she was walking.

I went back down to the dining hall to sit the rest of the group. Everyone was still chit chatting up a storm and Aphrodite was playing on her blackberry, probably texting Darius. I saw that both Erik and Stark had joined the table. Great. I took the seat between the two of them and gave a smile to each. Stark kissed me on the cheek and then Erik. Man this was awkward.

"So Z, I heard you found a new fledgling in the professors lounge with all the donors" Erik asked.

I looked at Damien who shrugged his shoulders, "I didn't say anything"

"Ugh, I told them. They would have found out anyways" Aphrodite said, not even looking up from her blackberry.

I just rolled my eyes; I guess I didn't get the privilege of telling anyone anything anymore. "So, Shaunee, Erin, any plans tonight?" I asked.

"Actually, we were just talking" Shaunee started.

"Yeah, Twin and I were saying how we should have another movie night!" Erik blurted out.

"Oh that sounds like a great idea!" Stevie Rae beamed. "I've been dying to see Push. You know with Dakota Fanning and that steamy pile of hotness Chris Evan's!"

I laughed, "Yeah, it looked…interesting. Sure, why not." I said.

"Yeah! You're actually going to hang out with us for a change!"

"Are we invited?" Stark asked.

"If you want to watch the movie" I replied and gave him a smile.

"I'm invited as well right?" Erik asked.

"If you want to watch the movie" I replied again. Super, now I would have two guys fighting over who I was going to sit next to. Ugh, this was becoming more complicated than I expected.

"Zoey" called a voice from behind me. It was Natasha. "I've been instructed by Neferet to summon you to the girls quarters."

"Oh, ok" I gathered my things and got up out of my seat, "I'll meet you guys in the common room later. Ok?"

"Bye Z" everyone said as I left. Stark even snuck a kiss on my cheek before I got up. I noticed Erik's cold gaze at Stark as well.

I followed Natasha out to the girl's dormitory where Neferet was waiting at my room with Coraline. "Zoey, now that you are High Priestess, you will be moving out of the dormitories and into the apartments. I have decided due to lack of space at the moment, to put Coraline in your old room. You don't mind helping her do you?"

"Of course not, have you seen Grandma? I can at least tell her that we're moving out of the room."

"Yes, she was walking the grounds with Heath the last time I saw her. Seems they were engaged in quiet a serious conversation. I will have someone gather your things and move them."

"Thank you" I said and they all departed leaving no one but Coraline and I in the room.

"So this is your room?" she asked.

"Yep, well, was. I guess I got promoted." I laughed. "I didn't have a roommate since Stevie Rae moved over to the apartments, so I'm sorry if your going to be staying alone for a short bit, but we get new fledglings in all the time and we're always looking for space."

"Not a problem. I like to be by myself anyways. I'm not a big…people person"

"Well, hopefully we can change that" I smiled at her, "Hey, my friends and I are getting together in a short while to watch Push, did you want to join us?"

Coraline's face lit up, "Sure, I haven't seen it yet, but I wanted to. My dad said it was supernatural nonsense and I didn't need to fill my mind with such things."

"Well, you don't have to worry about him anymore, here, we are very open minded. Most of us actually have, what your dad would call, supernatural abilities."

"Do you have a special power?" she asked.

I giggled, "well, probably more than a special. I'm a different fledgling/vampire all together. I'm the first ever fledgling to be fully marked before I was turned. See, your mark" I walked her towards the mirror, "It's just a small moon right now. When I came here, just as clueless as you are, I had these marks on my face already."

"Wow! They are beautiful" Coraline said as she touched the markings on my cheeks. "Will I have beautiful markings like you?"

"Everyone's is different. Usually your marks will symbolize your specialty. Mine are various markings because I have an affinity for all the elements. I can command Earth, Wind, Fire, Water and Spirit at my call."

"Show me" she asked.

I grinned, never really shown off before, but hell, I figured it was worth a little fun. I summoned Fire to me and made a small fire ball that floated in my palm.

"Wow!" she exclaimed. "That's too cool!"

"Yep, and my friends, they each have an affinity for one of the elements. My friend Stark, he can shoot an arrow and never miss his target, ever! Erik, is a super gifted poet and he's been touched by Nyx to be a Healer as well. Aphrodite, she's my consulate, she has visions."

"What is a consulate?"

I went through everything with Coraline. She was eager to learn and know how things worked. Who my friends were and what they were able to do. She was extremely fascinated about the visions. "Will I ever get any 'gifts'?"

"Sometimes it comes in time, other's, it might develop quickly after coming here."

Coraline and I talked for probably an hour or two before we were interrupted by a knock on the door, "Hey Z, oh hi" Stark looked stunned to see another girl in the room he'd never met. He walked over and stuck his hand out, "I'm James, James Stark. Just call me Stark"

Coraline blushed and cast her eyes down, "Coraline, just Coraline" she shook his hand.

"Nice to meet you" he smiled at her and then turned to me, "We're getting ready for the movie, you guys coming?"

"Defiantly" I said as I grabbed Coraline's hand and drug her out of the room for some downtime.

Everyone was seated. Stevie Rae was munching on some popcorn on the floor leaned up against the chair that Damien was sitting in. Shaunee and Erin were cuddled up with their boy toys TJ and Cole. There was another long couch where Erik was sitting that had enough room for Coraline and I to sit as well as Stark. Stark sat on the end and I sat next to him with Coraline and then Erik on the other end. Erik didn't look too happy that he was sitting so far from me, but him and Coraline started to talk and they seemed to get along pretty well. Throughout the movie I would look over and Erik's arm would resting behind Coraline's head but still on the couch, every time something came up that would startle her she was lean up against him. Maybe there hope in resolving this love triangle after all.

The movie was almost over and I was starting to get increasingly concerned about Grandma. Neferet said she was talking to Heath out on the grounds, it was getting late for her to be up. I whispered into Stark's ear, "After the movie, I want to go look for my Grandma. She should be back already"

Stark nodded and put his arm me and held me close to him as we both watched the movie. I rested my head on his shoulder as I was curled up next to him. Once the movie was done and the credits were rolling we all got up and stretched. I yawned knowing that it was really early in the morning. I looked at my phone that was in my pocket, it was 3am. Grandma would have defiantly been back by now.

"Hey Coraline, I need to go see where my Grandma is, are you going to be ok by yourself tonight?" I asked her as Erik came up.

"I can walk her to her room" he offered. Coraline's eyes widened and she smiled and nodded.

"Your in good hands, Erik will take good care of you" I gave her a small hug, as well as Erik and Stark and I took off. Coraline was a really pretty girl, I'm hoping that she'll catch Erik's eye. I loved Erik, but I wasn't sure I was in love with him as I was with Stark. I don't think I could survive a day with Stark; I could survive many without Erik. I hated to think that, but it was true. As good a person Erik is, he isn't the kind of person I need to be with. I need to be free, independent. I'm not a caged bird. Erik needed someone who would worship him, come at his beckon call and do as he pleased. I had a feeling that Coraline might be a good girl for him.

Stark and I took off out of the dormitory in search of Grandma. "Neferet said she saw her talking to Heath."

"Well, we can go ask him if he knows what happened to her. Don't worry Zoey, we'll find her." He reassured me as he grabbed my hand and we started on our search.


	14. Chapter 14

We had been searching for hours and it seemed like the sun was just about to rise before we were too exhausted to look any further. We'd have to be quick because I could feel the sunlight start to drain my energy already and same with Stark. The sun had always affected me when I first came to the House of Night. It was almost unbearable to be out when the sun was up anymore, at least now that I've changed when we were in the tunnels.

I decided to check one last place, the stables. I had always told Grandma about Persephone and how it was one of my favorite places to be when I needed to get away. It made me think of the times I spent with Bunny, my grey horse that Grandma had years ago. I loved that horse, just as much as I love Persephone now. I hoped that Grandma remembered my stories about the horses here and sought out refuge there if she couldn't find her way back. I wouldn't blame her, this was a large campus, and very easy to get lost.

"Grandma?" I poked my head into the barn hearing the huffing of a horse's snout throughout. "Are you in here?" I looked all over, the barn was dark and musty. A single light hung down in the middle that let off an amber glow so we could just faintly see the outlines of the horses. Though, with us being Vampire's, seeing in the dark was pretty easy for us.

I stopped when I heard a rustle coming from the back of the barn where most of the riding gear was. I held a finger up to Stark and told him to wait; he rolled his eyes and walked in front of me. "No way I'm going to let the High Priestess get killed searching around in the dark" as he marched out in front of me.

Stark grabbed his bow and pulled out an arrow which he pulled tight as he walked around the stables. He looked like a SWAT member with a bow and arrow instead of a gun, using the arrowhead to guide him as he weaved through the barn. We heard the rustling again and this time coming from one of the stables. I heard a soft neigh coming from our right, close to where Persephone sleeps. I slipped past Stark as he was checking out the rest of the stalls and I walked over to Persephone. She seemed to be fidgety in her stall, looking all around and all wild. "What is it girl?" I patted her neck. She huffed and turned her head towards the back corner.

I let out a small gasp. Grandma. She was huddled in the corner of Persephone's stall and she didn't look conscious. "Stark, Quick!" I screamed to him. He ran faster than I'd ever seen him run before, he came from behind me and just looked down into the stall.

"I smell blood" he sniffed the air. "Lots of blood" as his nostrils flared. I opened Persephone's stall and told her to get as she trotted out into the open field. I ran to Grandma and put my arms around her. She didn't move. That's when I smelt it. That sweet richness that filled my nose. I wanted it wherever it was. The smell of blood had always intoxicated me, even as a fledgling, and I am learning that ever since I changed, my need for blood was growing more intense. I yearned for it, I no longer just wanted the blood for the taste or pleasure, but I needed it. I needed it to live and it needed me. It called to me. Just like Grandma's blood was doing, needing me. I touched the floor and put my blood soaked fingers to my mouth, savoring the taste that was so sweet.

Stark moved passed me and took her pulse. I was streaming with tears of blood now, sobbing like a child even though I couldn't get over just how amazing my Grandma's blood was to me. I managed to choke out, "Is she ok?"

"She still has a pulse, but we have to get her to the infirmary and quick" He said as he picked her up in his arms and huffed as he stood up with Grandma lifeless in his arms. "Eww, what's that?" he said as he tried to get a better grip on her back. Stark set her down and rolled her over to examine her back.

"What in the…" I started to say as my eyes caught a glance at the huge chunks of skin missing from her back. In strips that went from her shoulder blades to her pelvis, jagged and ugly, they looked as though a monster or beast had ripped her open. I put my hand to my mouth as I caught glimpse of it all. It was horrid. Grandma was losing so much blood from it, and it seemed to ooze with a creamy yellow color. I suddenly felt sick to my stomach. Tainted blood. Eww gross! And I had just bitten my hand off licking the blood from my fingers. Oh God, I didn't taint myself did I?

"We have to get her to Neferet, hurry!" I whistled for Persephone who trotted over, only a few short yards away from us. Stark threw a blanket over her back and I helped him hoist Grandma over Persephone's back. I climbed up first so I could hold onto Grandma and Stark gave me the reins. "You're not coming with me?" I gave him a pouty look; honestly I wanted him to be with me so I wouldn't have to carry Grandma on my own. I wasn't sure I was strong enough to keep her from falling.

"You'll be fine" he said as though he read my mind, "I'll meet you at the infirmary. You go straight there; I will get Erik and Neferet."

"Thank you" I mouthed to him and we took off. As swift as the wind could carry us, Persephone galloped at top speed, not bothering to slow down for anything or anyone. I heard a howl off into the distance that distracted my attention, but it did not let down Persephone. I prayed to the Goddess that nothing would happen to Grandma before we got her to the infirmary. _Please Nyx; don't let anything happen to my Grandma. She's all I have left. _

By the time I got there, Neferet and Erik and Stark were already waiting for me in front of the infirmary. Stark and Erik helped me down and then gently slid Grandma off Persephone. I patted the horse's neck and told her to shoo on and head back to her stall. Like a diligent and mindful horse, she left in the same direction to which we came.

"I have not seen these kinds of markings in a great while" Neferet said as she inspected the tattered clothing that my Grandma was wearing. "Do not fear, she is under no pain anymore" she tried to comfort me and patted my shoulder, "Erik, you will help me with the wounds."

Erik walked up to Grandma and placed his hands on her back and closed his eyes, "Goddess Nyx, healer of all healers, Goddess of night, help me to restore this generous, trusting, and outwardly loving woman back to her former glory. Let her live in peace and without pain so she can endure all the pleasures life can bring her."

I bright glow eminated from his fingers. I saw instantly as the wounds began to close, as if magic. I wouldn't help but to let out a "Wow" as my eyes were wide as a deer. Erik looked back at me and smiled.

"Her heart beats strong" Neferet added. "You are so very lucky to have found her when you did. She was poisoned and probably would have died within a matter of moments had you not been there to see her Zoey."

"What were those marks?" I asked stroking Grandma's hair as a tear came down my cheek. I was too close to losing my Grandma. I knew eventually one day I would lose her, but not like this, old age, ok, gashes in her back, no. Not under my watch.

"I have not seen those kinds of marks in a long time. If it is what I think it is, we are in for a series of trouble." Neferet said as she shook her head. "A Wendigo did this. They are terrible and frightening demons."

"Wendigo? I've heard that before…." I said as I started to think where I had heard the word before.

"It is a Native American demon. I'm sure your Grandma used to tell stories about them." Neferet added.

"Well, I'm sure that's it too, but no, I've heard it elsewhere" I rattled my brain trying to think of where I had heard the story before.

"Roanoke Island" Erik said. "The lost settlement. Many believe that they were lost to cannibalism, that the Indian's chewed them up and hid their bones."

"But many Native American's believe that a Wendigo did it. They are demon's that possess the weak spirited and turn them into cannibalistic hunters! You're a genius!" I interrupted Erik as the information flew to my brain. I grabbed his face and kissed him on the lips. "How could I not remember that?"

Stark cleared his throat and I turned around to look at him. I bit my lip, hard. Damnit, Ho bag Zoey here. No, let's go kiss your almost ex-boyfriend in front of your almost ex-almost boyfriend again. Ugh, this was way too confusing. I needed to find a way NOT to be in both of their presence at the same time. This was going to end up bad. "Sorry" I said quietly.

Stark just rolled his eyes and turned his attention back to my Grandma. "What can be done for her?" he asked Neferet

"It seems that she's taking well to Erik's healing, now we can only wait. My healing has subsided her pain, but I am unsure of how she will be" Neferet said with her head low. This was quiet unusual. Nyx gifted Neferet with Healing, not the same as Erik's but similar. She can take away pain, but she can't make someone heal like Erik did. She can also sense how quickly they will heal. So her not knowing if Grandma would be ok was tearing at my heart.

"But you have to know!" I snapped at her. "You are supposed to know! Tell me now! Is she going to be ok?"

Neferet was a bit taken back by my snapping, "Zoey, I'm sorry, I simply don't know. Her spirit is old; I think we should wait to see how she does."

"You better hope that she makes it out alive then." My eyes narrowed. "She shouldn't have been walking around that late anyways, why didn't you stop her?" I knew I was taking my anger and grief out on Neferet, but with all we had been through, I felt it was deserved.

Neferet walked around the table that Grandma was laying on and she put her hands on my shoulders, "I know your hurting child. I am sorry I can not do further. I respect Silvia more than any human I've ever met. I would do all I can for her."

I took a deep breath as she looked deeply into my eyes. I knew she was sincere. Ever since Grandma brought me to the House of Night when she found me lying on the ground with a huge gash in my forehead, she made Neferet promise to take care of me. They stayed close until...well, no need to get back into that. All in all, Neferet respected my Grandma, not just because she was my Grandma, is because that no matter how nasty and evil her daughter was, she loved me and cared for me and was genuinely true. She accepted me for what I was and never asked anything else from me. Neferet saw a bit of a mother in her as well, considering her childhood past.

"I'm sorry I snapped at you Neferet. I know you would do all in your power to make sure she is ok"

"I will make it my utmost priority. She will stay here with me until I have further news." Neferet bowed her head and gave the High Priestess salute with her fist over her breast. "My Priestess"

I nodded to her and turned back to my sleeping Grandma. At least Erik was able to heal the marks on her back. Now the only thing left to figure out was how they got there. If what Neferet and Erik said were true, as well as Grandma's stories, then we were going to have to deal with a Wendigo, but who was the Wendigo?

"Heath!" I snapped my head back at Erik and Stark. "Where is Heath?"

"I saw him walking with Silvia this evening, was he not close by?" Neferet asked.

"We weren't really concerned about Heath, Zoey just wanted to find her Grandma. I can run out to the stables to see if he is there as well" Stark offered.

"Very wise. Go, make haste and be swift." Neferet ushered him.

"Should I go with him?" Erik offered.

"No, we need you here. I need you to stay with Neferet." I told him.

"And where will you be going?" he asked.

"I need to find the rest of my Prefect." I said as I gave Grandma a soft kiss on the forehead before I left and whispering to her, "A-ya e-he-na ga-so-hi. A-ya tsi ni-hi." (I'll come back. I love you) I couldn't believe the native tongue coming from my mouth. I knew simple words in Cherokee, but I had never been able to just speak it. It just flowed right out of my mouth. I actually clamped my hand up to my lips in shock.

"What's the matter Z?" Erik asked.

I just shook my head and said nothing. I chuckled a bit before putting my hand down and turning to walk out of the door. "I'll be right back"


	15. Chapter 15

It was the early minutes before dawn. What was I thinking telling everyone to stay with Grandma? They would all be leaving soon to rest. We had to rest come sun up, especially if we were changed, but considering that the whole school, fledglings and adult vamps and all, were adjusted to the flipped day and nights. More than likely, everyone to be ready to go to sleep. I decided that instead of walking all over campus to get my Prefect together, I would just send them a silent message through Air.

_Meet me at the infirmary at Dusk, it's an emergency_

I got several responses back, Shaunee and Erin protested that Dusk was too early and they wanted to sleep in. I reminded them at classes started again at 8pm and they were still fledglings and required to attend class which means they could be up at Dusk. Was I to attend the classes too? I technically was still a third former. Granted I had fully changed AND I was initiated as High Priestess, but I didn't know all there was to know about Vampire's just yet. I just learned along the way. Then there was the Dark Daughters to think about. We hadn't had a ritual or a meeting in months, not since we went to the tunnels and Kalona was loose. I would have to appoint someone to take lead and get it up and running again. Ugh, so much to do and so little time to do it in. I had Grandma to worry about, Heath, whom I wish never stepped foot in the House of Night, was also missing, my boy issues, which I could never decide upon no matter how I tried, The Dark Daughters and Sons, moving into my new apartment and now Coraline. Life sure is busy for a High Priestess.

I took a short walk around the courtyard. I could feel the small bits of warmth from the sun's rays hitting my back. I felt myself becoming weaker as sleep wanted to take my body. I wasn't ready yet to sleep. I dragged my feet, my head hung low and lids started to drift as I continued to walk and walk.

"Zoey!" I heard a familiar voice call. "Zoey!" the voice got nearer. Warm hands touched my face and pulled it upwards. It was Aphrodite. "You need to get out of the sun" she covered me with a dark cloak and walked with me back towards the infirmary. "What in the hell are you doing outside in the sunlight anyways?!"

"Grandma…" I choked out. Not realizing what an impact the sun was having on me now, I could almost barely move.

"We're almost there" Aphrodite comforted me as she rushed me to the infirmary and in through the doors. Neferet and Erik were still in the room with Grandma and quiet shocked to see me draped in a dark cloak with Aphrodite ushering me in. Neferet ran over and removed the hood from the cloak.

"Zoeybird? What is wrong?" she asked with concern.

"She looked like she was going to fall asleep in the middle of the courtyard. I ran out to her and covered her up since her skin was starting to turn pink" Aphrodite said. "It was like I could feel the heat on my own skin…I knew something was wrong."

"You were wise to come bring her here. I will get her some blood, but I assume she will be fine after a good day's rest." Neferet said as she reached for a fresh blood bag that she stored in the infirmary for emergencies.

"Are you sure about using that?" Aphrodite questioned.

"No one could have tainted my blood supply here. It is under lock and key and only I have access to it" Neferet said as she ripped the top open with her teeth and held it to my mouth, "Drink lil bird"

I took the bag and began to drink. Neferet brushed the hair from my forehead and traced her fingers along my mark. She almost looked sad, as if she was about to start crying. I looked at her and smile, "I'm fine, and how is Grandma?"

Neferet's face went from sad to grim, "I don't know Zoey. She is no better than when you left shortly ago, but I do think that maybe she would be better off in a hospital or away from here."

I sat up, "No, she won't go anywhere, she's safer with me!"

Erik and Aphrodite grabbed my arms and pulled me back down onto the table, "Whoa Z, its ok" Erik soothed.

"I know your upset Zoey, but maybe Neferet is right" Aphrodite added. I just turned and gave her a cold look. "Hey! Don't give me that attitude miss High Priestess. I may be your consulate, but I'm not going to take you putting Grandma in even more danger"

"I didn't put her in danger in the first place!" I screamed. "Heath did when he was out with…….oh my god, Heath. Stark! Stark is out in the sun!" I turned to rush off of the table, but not before Erik grabbed the back of my shirt and pretty much threw me back onto the table.

"You're not going anywhere! James is a big boy, he can take care of himself" Erik said.

I huffed and decided to sulk on the table. Not the most High Priestess thing I could have done, but hey, I'm just seventeen, what else did they expect from me. "I would like to see my Grandma then" I said in a very gruff and aggravated voice.

Neferet nodded and took my hand, leading me through the infirmary to a small room that had a twin bed with a nightstand and a soft light. Grandma was tucked into the sheets, still asleep and no signs of movement. Neferet brought me in a chair and sat it next to Grandma's bed. "When you're ready and tired, I can show you upstairs to my apartment. I have plenty of space for you, Erik and Aphrodite to rest."

"Thank you" I mouthed to her as she walked out of the room, leaving me to be by myself in a dark and windowless room. I walked over and sat on the chair next to Grandma's bed. I took her hand and began to cry. "Gaest-ost yuh-wa du-nv-ta E-tsi" (I'm sorry Mother) the Cherokee words flowed out of my mouth as I continued to talk to my Grandma in her native tongue. She would be so pleased as to hear me talk it, as so little did anymore.

"A-ya tsi-ge-yu-i ni-hi" I heard her softly whisper.

"Grandma?" I asked earnestly waiting for her reply.

"Zoeybird? My u-we-tsi a-ge-hu-tsa?" she asked. I cried of sheer joy that she had awoken.

"Yes Grandma, it is me, your little bird." I grasped her hand tightly in mine nearly choking on my words. "Are you well?"

"I would not be here if I was sweetheart." She smiled. "It lightens my heart to hear you speak your native tongue my daughter"

"It just flows out of me Grandma. I don't even know what I'm saying when I say until I think about what I just said."

"You will soon learn that you are more ancient than your years my little bird. You not only are gifted by your Goddess Nyx, but by your people, our people, our brothers and sisters of the Cherokee flow through you." She reached up and touched my face. I couldn't help but to let a small tear leak from my eyes. I was amazed at how many times I had cried here at the House of Night. Living with my Step-Loser and my mom, I had learned not to cry, to hold it all in. I remember when I was marked how I told myself that I wouldn't cry, I wouldn't allow myself, and now here I was, High Priestess and the biggest cry baby ever.

"Grandma" I asked with a little hesitation.

"Yes Zoeybird" she coughed.

"Do you know where Heath is?" I asked her, worried about where he might be. He may not be my top priority, but I certainly would be pained if he was dead somewhere. We'd known each other since the third grade. Even though we'd had problems in the past, and he totally did not get the fact that we couldn't be together anymore, he was still close to me and my heart.

"I don't remember honey. I can't remember anything right before I was attacked" she said apologetically. "I do wish they find him unharmed, or at least to the point where they can still heal the little lad."

"What did you all talk about?"

"You mostly. He is still a fool in love with you dear. Y'all have been childhood sweethearts forever, it pains him how you are to be so separated now."

"He just doesn't get it Grandma. He think's this is all a game. That he can pop in whenever, that he can slit himself and make me feast upon him. He's always showing up at the wrong place, at the wrong time and it's always me to bail him out. I can't do it anymore!"

"People do foolish things when they are in love" Grandma reminded me. "Look at your mother, she is desperately in love with John, so much she has pushed all others to the side."

I sat there for a moment, evaluating what Grandma was telling me. She was right. Love made people do stupid things. I had done some stupid things in the short almost year I'd been here. It's amazing how much time has flown and how much I've changed while everyone has had to readjust. Heath was my almost boyfriend before I was marked and I continued to push him away though he tried desperately to get my attention. He was even willing to accept me no matter what I was. I started dating Erik before things were totally over with Heath, and then I got involved with Loren. Just thinking about him made my skin shiver. What a mess that was and I was dating Erik at that time. Then there was Stark, whom I've had a very personal and deep connection to ever since I've known him. Again, almost dating Erik when Stark and I kissed, then it was when we were in the tunnels that Erik found out about our relationship and where it left off, Stark saying he would come back for me. That's when his jealousy really blossomed. He had lost me once to Loren; he knew a part of me would always be with Heath, and now to his own brother, Stark. I could see now why Erik had become what he is. Again, love makes you do stupid things. I've been so selfish with my love life; I've never actually sat back and thought about the other person much. I chided myself for always thinking about me, me, me. That's not what a relationship is. I even dumped Stark because I still had feelings for Erik, even after the whole slightly possessed, sleeping with my best friend kind of thing happened. Everything was now a messed up blur and I wasn't sure what direction to go in. I just need to be by myself. "Your right Grandma. People do do stupid things when they are in love. I'm going to see if Stark has returned with his looking for Heath." I kissed Grandma on the cheek and walked out of the room.

I looked around the infirmary but no one was there. No noise, nothing. I checked the clock on the wall and it was now 9 a.m., which was late for me. Usually I'm in bed by 6, just as dawn approaches. I figured Neferet took Erik upstairs to lay down and rest along with Aphrodite. I took the stairs up to the right that lead to Neferet's apartment. As I was walking down the hall to her door I thought to myself what exactly I had done to these three guys. One was still, no matter what, completely obsessed with me, another was also obsessed, but not to the extreme nature of the first, he was patient, but jealous all at the same time, and the last, he was understanding, passionate and patient, all qualities that I looked for. I thought back to all the things all of them had done for me. Heath, by sticking up for me in front of his friends when I was marked, all the sweet things he'd always done for me as a child. Erik, who helped protect Heath when Aphrodite let loose all the evil spirits at our Samhain ritual, the night I was given the duty of Leader of the Dark Daughters. He helped us in the tunnels with finding our way. He helped me through the change. Then there was Stark, he was my warrior. He protected me, he would kill for me, and he has sacrificed to be with me. He made a promise and kept it.

Another thought came to mind, maybe I didn't deserve any of them. As good natured as all three were, maybe I didn't deserve someone as special as either of them. Maybe that wasn't there calling. Maybe they weren't supposed to be with me, maybe they are just to be lovers, but never mates, warriors or have some other fitful duty in my retinue. Who knew.

I got to Neferet's door, which was still slightly ajar. I opened it quietly to see Aphrodite waiting up for me at Neferet's desk looking over a massive pile of papers. "Took you long enough" she muttered.

"Well, she's doing well, thanks for asking"

"I know Grandma is fine, I could feel it through our bond. Now, it's time to work" she divided some papers up and laid them at the end of the desk. I yawned and stretched my arms out.

"Don't you mean it's time for bed"

"Not unless you want to have any chance of finding Heath, we need to get this taken care of. Here, take one of these and drink this" Aphrodite handed me a small orange and white capsule pill and a glass of what smelt deliciously of blood.

"What's this?" I asked looking at the capsule in my palm.

"Adderall. It's mixed with Ritalin to keep you awake. They give it to stupid kids who are too lazy to pay attention to their studies." She said non chalantily.

"Adderall? Isn't that a prescription drug?" I asked wearily.

"Yes and no. Yes, you need a prescription to get some, but no, you don't need one from me. Take it, it will help"

I popped the tiny pill in my mouth and chased it down with a large gulp of blood. I didn't feel any different, I thought maybe that I would perk up automatically like they always show you in commercials…but I still felt as tired as I did before. "When's it supposed to kick in?"

"Gradually…you probably won't even notice until you look at the clock and realize you've been up all day. Here, let's get busy."

Aphrodite handed me a stack of papers and we began to read through them. "What are we looking for?" I asked.

"Wendigo sightings. There are ancient texts about them, I'll search there. I need you to look in the obituaries and criminal sections of the paper to see if there have been any reports of people dying from possible animal attacks or something like that"

"Great idea!" I took the stack of papers and flipped them open. This was going to be a long…day. I could feel my eyes come into focus a bit more the more we read.


	16. Chapter 16

**A.N: Sorry for the delay in getting out the next chapter. I keep getting myself destracted and i'm trying to think of good details for the story and where I want to take it. Which i'm still not sure yet, but I have a better idea now. If you go to my profile you can also check out the link to the Fantasy Cast I have for the House of Night so you can see how I'm envisioning when I'm writing the stories. Have a great read!**

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It was a long day. I started to feel the effects of the Adderall not too much longer after I had taken it. I was wired and reading like a mad woman. I flipped through books, newspapers, and the internet. Everywhere. I hadn't found a thing. Aphrodite and I looked into all the books we could find, but nothing turned up. I threw my hands up in frustration, "UGH! We aren't finding anything!" I yelled.

"Quiet! You want to wake Erik and Neferet?" Aphrodite scolded. "It's only 2pm, they will still be sleeping"

I rolled my eyes and propped my arm up on the desk and laid my head in my hand. I was wired, but tired of looking at all these books and such. Reading was making me go cross eyed. "Maybe the library, we could find some old books" I suggested.

"Yeah, well, that would be an idea, but we only have one cloak between us both and I don't feel like getting fried out there" she pointed to the window where the sun shone as bright as it could. Spring time was beautiful and the sun was always its brightest then. We'd blind ourselves on the way there.

"I'm sure Neferet has a cloak of her own" I suggested and got up out of my seat. I walked towards the closets and opened the doors. They were huge walk in closets; you would have never imagined as much space in there looking at the room. I found a heavy and light material cloak. Both were black as midnight. "Here, there are two in here."

I grabbed the cloak and threw the one that Aphrodite had at her, "Let's go"

I walked down the hall to check on Grandma once more before we left. She was sleeping and thankfully doing better. Thank you Goddess! I gave her a light kiss in the cheek before we left. Making sure to put the hood of the cloak over my head, we walked out into the daylight. The sun beamed at me, almost feeling like I was starting to melt like the Wicked Witch of the West. I didn't burst into flames, but it was definitely uncomfortable. My skin felt like it was getting an instant sunburn. I turned to see Aphrodite frozen in the front door, not moving at all. "Come on!" I yelled, but she didn't answer, she just collapsed. Hell! What's wrong now?

I ran to Aphrodite, and through out bond, I could feel her distress. She was having a vision. Her eyes were rolled back into her head and she began to convulse. I grabbed her thin arms and pulled her back into the infirmary, asking Wind to please help me, as it diligently did. Aphrodite was by no means heavy, she was a twig, but I'm not necessarily all that strong to be able to lift dead weight. Wind helped me lift her up and took the majority of her weight as I guided her body to a nearby stretcher. I laid her down as she was still twitching. "Aphrodite, tell me what you see" I commanded as I held onto her shoulders.

"It's Heath. I see him" she started to cry. "He's in such pain"

"Tell me what you see! What about Heath? Is he ok?"

"Not for long. Something has attacked him and he's bleeding, badly."

Before I could ask another question Aphrodite screamed, "NO! RUN HEATH! RUN!"

I felt the tears swell in my eyes, what was happening? Where was Heath? As much as he had been a bear in my side the past few months, we'd known each other for years; I couldn't bear it if something happened to him because he was here at the House of Night. "What's chasing him?" I asked.

"I can't see it's getting blurry" Aphrodite said, her head twisting from side to side. "He's in the woods; there are large trees and thick shrubs. I don't see or hear anything that would look like civilization, it's like he's lost in another world"

"What else do you see?" I commanded.

"Vegetation, beautiful but strange flowers, I've never seen flowers that looked so beautiful but so…strange and dangerous before"

"Where is he Aphrodite?" I asked again.

"In another realm." She concluded as she popped her eyes open. "We have to find him, quick"

"What do you mean he's in another realm? We can't help him unless we know where he is!" I said shaking my head and pacing the floor between us. "How did he even get to another realm, I wasn't even sure there was such a thing!"

"How do you think that Nyx comes to visit you? What do you think Heaven or Hell is? It's another realm, can be of peace, or disaster. I get a very bad feeling about this though."

"What kind of bad feeling?" I asked.

"Like, we have to find out quick, or everything and everyone will be at stake" Aphrodite's eyes were serious. "Let's head to the library"

We got up and put our cloaks back on and ran out into the light. Hand in hand we raced across the campus towards the main building that held the little library. Since it was still daylight out, no one would be up for several hours. Shivers ran down my spine with what Aphrodite told me. So Heath was alive, thank Goddess for that, but how were we going to save him, Again! Even though Heath and I had come to a sort of understanding that we couldn't see each other anymore, at least as a couple, we at least were friends. You can't just cut someone totally out of your life that has been there for seven years. I was determined to find him, and I would. I sent a silent prayer to Nyx, _Please let us find him, help us to find him._

The moment we got into the library I felt a tug in my stomach, as if it was trying to tell me where to go. It was like playing that game, Hide-n-Seek when you tell them Hot or Cold depending on how close they are too you. That's how my stomach was reacting. I knew, from all the times that Goddess has led me in the past, this is how I listened to her and this is how she guided me. I tugged on Aphrodite's arm as I walked back to a section of books that was marked off. The sign on the tape crossing the shelves read "Restricted. Authorized use only!" in bright red letters.

"I'm the High Priestess, I should be able to look at these" I mumbled to myself, feeling a bit of apprehension before decided to actually look at the books. Since I never really had time to go through all my years here at the House of Night, there was lots that I needed to learn still, even being High Priestess. This would make it increasingly difficult as I was much a novice to this whole Vampire thing in every way. I know I am the Chosen One by the Goddess, and she has blessed me with many gifts, but that was all I knew. Neferet, after we saved her from her 'dark side', she had me read a lot in my Soc 415 book, which I hadn't picked up much since Heath and I had our Imprint months earlier when I first came to the House of Night. I knew the basic culture of vampires, and most of the basic necessities, but I was clearly a novice of the mystic arts. I looked up at the bookcase and amazed at all the old books that lined the shelves. Many did not have titles on the spines so I knew this might take quiet a while.

"Need help finding something, Priestess" a soft voice that interrupted my inner babble. It was Anastasia, Professor of Rituals and Spells. "I could help you find what you need if you told me what you were looking for" she had a sweet smile and her angelic face reminded me much of a beautiful arch-angel depicted in so many early renaissance paintings.

At first I was a little stunned to see someone other than Aphrodite and I since I wasn't expecting anyone else to be up and I was fairly certain that it was still sleepy time for all the adult vamps. I felt my heart jump as her voice scared me just a tad. "Professor Anastasia! You scared me" My heart settled down a bit as I took a few breaths. "I didn't think anyone was up"

She just smiled, "I don't sleep. I spend most of the day in the library looking for new potions, spells and new rituals to use." She was very nonchalant about her reasoning to be out while everyone was sleeping.

"You don't sleep? I thought all adult vampire's slept during the day" I asked and oddly freaked out.

"That is one of my many Goddess given gifts; I do not need to sleep during the day, just as I do not need to hide in the shadows or wear a cloak. The sun does not bother me like it does everyone else." She explained.

For the first time I really looked at her. Her skin had a sun kissed glow to it. Not really tan, but you could tell she had been out in the light. Funny how I never noticed it before.

"So, what exactly are you two doing here in _my_ restricted section?" she asked looking from me to Aphrodite.

I felt around to see if there was so strange feeling in my stomach, as Nyx had always forewarned me about speaking too forward to certain people. Normally for their own good. This time, there was no feeling of holding back, so I decided to be as forward as possible. "Well, first I didn't think that it was restricted to me, and since Aphrodite is my consulate…I figured…ugh…she could be here too" I laughed. "Anyways, I have an odd question for you" I took a breath "Is there a way to tap into another realm?"

"Another realm? As in a spirit realm?" she asked. "Another world?"

"Yes, something like that. Can we or humans pass into another realm somehow?" I questioned.

"Well, for us, it is certainly much easier than a human, as we tend to understand the mystic arts quiet better than our human friends." She paused, "But I assume it could be possible with the aid of someone who understands the mystic arts. Why do you inquire Priestess?"

I decided that for now, it was easier to just get all the information I could instead of worrying people. Here I go again with the hiding of secrets and placing myself under a larger than normal amount of stress. I'm glad I Changed already because if I hadn't, I would die of stress. "Just curious. How does one tap into another realm?"

"Well, there are seven spiritual realms. You have the Lower realm which is where Evil exists. This is not a Realm to which we are taught to enter. It is dangerous and deadly. Those who have said to gone, never return." Her face was grim and serious, "The next is Earth Bound, you could kind of compare that to the reason we sometimes see Ghosts. They are trapped in the Earthly Realm. There is Physical, which is us here and now. We are in our physical bodies. Though, this does not mean that it's just Earth here, or this time that is the only physical realm, there are many. There is Animal, Soul, Spirit and Divine. Divine Consciousness or Realm, is where Nyx dwells. This is considered the highest realm and no person, or animal has ever entered it. It is reserved for the Goddess."

I took in all that she was saying and I looked at Aphrodite who shrugged her shoulders and continued looking through the books in the library. "Could it be possible for someone to have been pulled into a realm and be trapped?"

Anastasia gave me a weary look of concern, "Zoey, what is going on? Is someone in trouble?"

"I'm not sure, but I think so." Was I was willing to say at the moment. I bit my lip hoping that I wasn't hiding too much from her.

"I can help you with finding a way into the realms, but I can't help you if I don't know which one you seek or what you seek for" she continued. "I will pull some of my books together and come to see you later in your apartment."

My apartment, I totally forgot. I had moved out of the dorms and now Coraline had my room. I was now a High Priestess, so I wouldn't be living with students anymore. I hadn't even been over there, with all the stuff with Heath, Grandma and the induction to being High Priestess; it had totally slipped my mind. "Thank you Anastasia. I will look forward to our meeting." I gave her a nod and she gave me the fist over the chest salute and bow then walked out of the library.

"I think I found something that might help" Aphrodite said as she reached up on her tip toes to get, what looked like a very old book covered in dust off the top shelf of the bookcase. It was very heavy and the pages defiantly looked like some old and tattered linen. The book was dark leather brown and embossed on the top read, _Spells and Divinations of the Ancient Mystic Arts_ in gold script. "This might be promising" she said as she flipped open the book.

"May I?" I stuck my hand out to grab the book from her as Aphrodite gladly handed me the book.

"You can have it all you want, it's getting me filthy!" she smacked her hands together and brushed the fallen dust bunnies that landed on her nice pleated mini skirt she was wearing. "So…."

I took a look at the book; it was old, very old. The type was small and looked hand written. "This might be very useful. Good eye!" I commended her.

Her lips upturned in the corner of her mouth, "Well, I told you I was good for something…even if you don't know what to look for, I might"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know. Because you're a fifth former and I was only a third former. You have so much more knowledge than I do" I rolled my eyes at her.

"Bet your ass I do!" she sneered. I could tell through our bond that even if she sounded like she was being a bitch, she was just being sassy with me and her mood was playful. I was starting to really get use to this bond with her, it let me really see the real Aphrodite, not that I hadn't seen glimpses of her in the months earlier whenever my Grandma was around.

I looked through the index, yes, even for an ancient book as this, it did have an index, I guess with so many spells you'd need to know what to look for quickly, I found something that I felt was what I might have been looking for. My spirit leapt when I ran my finger over the text. _Walking Through the Realms: Rites to safely walk between the worlds. _I knew I probably found what I was looking for. I placed the book marker on the page and closed it. "Come on, we need to meet up with Anastasia."


	17. Chapter 17

Since we had time to spare before Anastasia was to meet us in my new apartment to go over some mystic arts information with us, I decided it might be a good idea to check the place out myself. I hadn't been to my room since I was told I was moving, so I wasn't even sure if they even got my stuff or not. Knowing the vamps though, they would have everything moved out before I even realized it, just like they did with Stevie Rae's stuff when she died, the first time.

"This way" Aphrodite led me. She was more familiar with the professor apartments than I was. I had been to Neferet's and Erik's, which was about it. "I think you're down here" she pointed to a large wooden door at the end of the hallway. I noticed right away that the door was familiar. It was Loren's door. The same room that he used when he was a visiting Professor. I remembered he had the whole floor as well. As my body was shaking from the fact that my room MIGHT be the same of the treacherous man who stole my virginity and tricked me into thinking he loved me and feeling totally odd about that, to excited because I knew I was getting a new place and it was three times the size of Neferet's studio.

"Wait" I stopped right before I got to the door. Aphrodite was just about to open it and she peeked in the small window that was covered with iron bars.

"I would have to say, I think this is your room most defiantly"

"This was…L-Loren's apartment" a chill went down my spine.

Aphrodite's face changed from excitement to disgust. "Loren Blake? This was his space?" she asked.

I gulped and nodded at her. "Yep…."

Aphrodite rolled her eyes and as always flung her hair behind her, "Too bad, it's your space now and from what I can see…you're SO going to love it. Can I move in? Not that I want to live with you or anything, but, I think that you would be overwhelmed with the amount of space in here"

I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, "Ok, I'll go in" I made myself move. I asked Nyx for bravery, which I knew that she knew I was already and pushed the door open.

I don't remember saying anything when I walked in the room. It was drastically different from Loren's; it didn't even look like the same apartment. The first thing I noticed was the walls. They were wallpapered in this rich lavender purple color with gold patterns of leaves and flowers that covered the walls from the ceiling to the floor. When you looked straight into the room on the opposite wall there was a large set of ceiling to floor length glass doors that were heavily curtained with beautiful gold and white satins and that opened up onto a balcony that overlooked the entire campus. To the left was a very modest and modern glass desk that had a single white lamp and a few photo's in frames. I walked over and picked up the pictures, one was of me and my friends that we had taken soon after I had come to the House of Night. The other was of me and my Grandma which was taken when I was a little girl, last but not least was a photo of my family. My mom, my older sister, and me, with our dad, Armand, or Paul as my mom knew him. Armand is what he changed it to when he was Marked, but his real name was Paul Montgomery. I smiled. I was just a tiny baby when the picture was taken and I don't remember ever seeing my mother with this picture, or her ever showing me. It must have been something my Dad kept. That made me happy.

"Oh. My. God!" Aphrodite yelled, "You have got to see this bedroom!"

I ran down the large hallway decorated with a modest glass table that held a white planter and my lavender plant that my Grandma gave me for my birthday. Above it was a painting of a lavender field. I stopped to look at the painting; it looked like the lavender was almost swaying in the wind. Like the painting was moving. I was totally mystified by it. I shook myself and continued down the hall, where I was in utter surprise myself.

The best was enormous. It was pale purple suede that looked like it was stuffed like a couch but looked like an oversized sleigh bed. The sheets were my favorite kind, Jersey Knit, they felt just like a t-shirt and I loved that. The bedding was a mixture of white and different shades of purples. Above the headboard was a beautiful gold metal sculpture of Nyx's golden wings, the symbol of Eros, much like the fourth former's emblem that they wore. The bedside tables were the matching glass with white table lamps on each end accompanied by a small vase of lavender. Everything matched, right down to each detail.

From the bedroom I walked right into the bathroom where I saw a large spa like shower and a huge garden tub that was surrounded by glowing purple candles. A silver metal sculpture overlooked the tub that was of a spiral, the same that was the third former's emblem. On the opposite side of the bathroom was another painting, this was of an ocean, this painting also looked as if it lived, I could hear the ocean's roar and the saltiness of the sea. I was starting to think there was a theme in my apartment so I strode to all the rooms, Aphrodite following me and just as amazed as I was. I had a decent size kitchen, which I was right again, followed the theme of the emblems since on the back wall that held the small table and chairs that served as a mini dining room hung the Fifth Former's emblem of the golden chariot pulled by stars. On the backsplash was a painting of fires blazing above the gas stove. It looked like the fire flickered and crackled as if it was really there. I felt a sudden warmth.

I noticed that the Sixth Former symbol was missing. I went back out to where the desk was, by the main door and right above the beautiful overstuffed white couch was the Sixth Former symbol of the three Fates. I smiled realizing that my entire apartment was devoted to all members of the House of Night. Regardless of age, was represented here. I turned to the opposite wall and there was a huge painting, this of just a clear blue sky and looked of wisps of flower petals dancing in the wind. It was so ironic that all the paintings seemed to live right here in my apartment space. Just as they elements lived in me, the elements lived in my apartment. I was anxious to see what painting I could have for Spirit as I searched the apartment.

"Wow Z, this place is really…amazing!" Aphrodite said, in a low and somber, but yet cheery mood. I looked over at her and see a small tear that started to flow out of her eyes. I turned to where she was standing and saw her looked at a painting by the door. Just to the right of the door was a small table that held a white bowl of small little nick nacks, above it was a picture of Nyx herself. It looked like she was smiling at us. When I smiled, she smiled larger.

"This place is so magical" I breathed, then looking at Aphrodite, knowing that she couldn't tear herself away from the painting, "What's the matter?" I asked.

"If I hadn't had screwed up so bad….this would be mine. I would have been Chosen to have this great place, and now I'm just nothing, stuck in the student dorms" she shrugged. Sometimes I really hated just how selfish she was sometimes, but I sympathized with her. She was right after all. If she was at least a nicer person to people and didn't do all the nasty things she did, she'd still be the High Priestess in training. "Well, we'll see about that" I said as I touched her shoulder. "You're no longer a student Aphrodite. You're my Consulate. You're an Adult Vampire now. You don't belong in the student dorms."

She took the back of her hand and wiped her cheek, "Thanks, but I don't need charity"

I was a little miffed at that response, "Look, I'm not holding a charity for you, I'm not offering you my bed or my couch, I'm just saying that since you are important as well, and you're an adult, you deserve to be in your own apartment as well. I will make sure that happens, ok?"

"Whatever" she shrugged.

Before I could even make a response I heard a light tapping at the door, "Zoey? Aphrodite?" the familiar soft voice called out.

"Come in" I called as Anastasia opened the heavy wooden door and walked into the apartment.

"I hope your new home is to your liking? Neferet was very specific about how she wanted it decorated" Anastasia smiled.

"I love it! It doesn't even look like it did….before" I didn't even want to say Loren's name.

"In your dressers are your clothes, everything was brought over from your old room. I even took the privilege of getting them stitched with the new emblem to signify your status."

"Thank you. I wasn't even aware things were already taken care of" I smiled at her and walked towards the couch. "Come, sit!"

Aphrodite took the chair opposite of the couch as Anastasia and I sat down on the overstuffed couch. Aphrodite has conveniently placed the old book we found on the white modern coffee table as Anastasia put down a handful of books on the floor. "First, I want to warn you Zoey, when trying to walk through Realms or worlds, you are using most dangerous magic. Everything has a cost. As you use your powers, it drains your energy; we counter that by drinking blood to replenish what was lost. However, for this kind of magic, it can have grave consequences, and I don't mean you just feeling tired, or blacking out. If you're not careful, you can get trapped between worlds, or worse, in the alternate world with no chance of coming back." Anastasia's face was very serious and stern.

"What kind of consequences?" I asked.

"Death" was all she answered. It was quick, to the point and blunt.

"Death" my ears perked and my soul felt uneasy. I felt this was something I had to do, but I was unsure about these consequences. "Meaning I could die walking through worlds?"

"You or someone else." Anastasia sifted and turned towards me placing her hands on top of my knees, "I need to know what you plan to do. I can not help you or guide you in the right direction if I do not know the situation. You can trust me Zoey. I know you have had trust issues before, and I don't blame you with wanting to take on the burden yourself as High Priestess, but we can not win a war without soldiers"

Her pun was odd, but I got what she was saying. You couldn't go into battle by yourself that was just asking to die; you had to have those fighting along side of you. Suddenly I really wished I had the Twins and Damien, Stark and Erik close by. I took a deep breath, "Aphrodite had a vision of Heath. He disappeared last night when my Grandma was attacked. Neferet said it was a Wendigo that attacked her. Stark went to find Heath, but he never returned. Aphrodite's vision showed that Heath was in another realm, and something, something horrible was chasing him. She said if we did not save him, he would die for sure. So not only am I concerned about Heath, but I'm worried sick about Stark, who could be anywhere, I'm worried about this Wendigo thing getting to fledglings or hurting someone else. I need to find a way to save Heath, and if that involves going through worlds, then I will do it" my voice sounded strong and sure, just like a High Priestess, hell, I was the High Priestess.

Anastasia nodded and sat there for a second, almost recollecting what she was told and thought about it. "This is going to be mighty tricky; as we don't know which Realm he is trapped. What did it look like?" she turned to Aphrodite.

"It looked like lush woods, trees so tall that I've never seen anywhere else, flowers that I've never smelt before. Everything was different, new, and yet dangerous at the same time. I couldn't get a sense if there was any sort of civilization, but I know my vision clearly made me feel as though it was not of this world." Aphrodite answered, and for the first time, was not sarcastic.

Anastasia bit the side of her cheek as her eyes narrowed and she was quiet for a minute. She then turned to a book lying next to her and flipped the pages open. She was silent as she read and then tapped her finger at a particular picture within her book as she passed it towards me. Aphrodite leaned in to see what she was showing me, "Here, this must be it. I've never heard of someone traveling to this place before, as it is very dangerous. It is in the Lower Realm. Evil lurks here. It is the Realm of the Fae."

"Fae? Like Fairy?" I asked a little confused. I was pretty sure Fairies were supposed to be nice, not evil. Made me think of Tinker bell in a whole new light, but of course Tink had quiet the attitude problem.

"Yes, Fairy. That is what they are. And contrary to what you might have been told, they are NOT nice creatures. The Fae are ruthless and mean and they will do whatever they can to protect what they believe is their's. If you think that Vampires and Raven Mockers are bad, the Fae are worse" Anastasia warned.

"Hmpf" I heard Aphrodite snort. "Well, like we don't have other things to worry about, but now we have to tell all those little girls in the world that Fairies will eat their hearts out!"

"Aphrodite!" scolded Anastasia and I at the same time.

"What?" she shrugged her shoulders. "No sense in making them think they are good only to get hurt"

I just rolled my eyes at her and turned my attentions back to Anastasia. "This is going to be tricky I supposed?"

"Very, if there is any hope that Heath may still be alive, and in the Realm of the Fae, we must act quickly."


	18. Chapter 18

I paced the length of my new apartment with a few found worry. Fairies. The cute little winged people that were supposed to be sugar and spice and everything nice, was not in reality at all what they really were. Anastasia showed us text and pictures of what the Fae looked like. They are like small boney people with razor sharp teeth, large pointed ears and stringy hair. They had magnificent large eyes and finger nails that grew into sharp pointed spikes. They were at one with nature in their realm; they could blend into any element being air, earth, fire or water.

"It's going to have to be you Zoey" Anastasia said as I continued to pace my living room. "You have an affinity for all five elements, it is possible that only you would be able to stop the fae, or even enlist their help if they are not the ones that are chasing Heath."

"I think she's right Zoey, if these things can blend into any element, you should be able to tell and stop it" Aphrodite continued.

I didn't say anything, but shook my head with my arms crossed tightly across my body. I walked towards the large glass doors and peered outside, dusk had come, it had to have been around 7 in the evening, and everyone would be waking, if they hadn't already. I was starting to feel the Adderall wear off, granted that most drugs and alcohol don't affect Vampires or even fledglings; we can still get a tad hyper on some prescriptions.

Classes were to resume today and they started in an hour. "I'm going to need a warrior to go with me" I finally spoke as I saw the last rays of sunlight beam over the horizon. "I think it would be wise to have Stark come with me. He is diligent and strong and I know he would never let anything hurt me"

"Going alone is a difficult task in itself, I do not know if two can pass easily" Anastasia said with a look of worry on her face. "I know you feel you need protection, but Zoey, you are one of the most powerful Priestesses to ever live, it has been since the dawn of Nyx that such power has been welded. I have a feeling you could take care of yourself"

"I still want Stark to come with me. If I am as strong as everyone keeps telling me, then we should be able to enter unharmed" I had a seriousness to my voice that surprised me and both Aphrodite and Anastasia. "Plus, I have this book" I picked up the ancient book that Aphrodite and I found in the library. "There is a spell in here that tells you how to walk into another realm safely. This should be helpful"

Anastasia stood and touched the book, almost rearing away instantly, "Where did you find this?" she asked curiously.

"It was on the top shelf of _your_ restricted section" Aphrodite butted in.

"This is not one of mine" Anastasia said. "This book belongs to the High Priestess in Venice."

My eyes widened, "So then how did it get here?"

"I do not know, but there is a reason to which you both found it. See, this book is very magical. It holds all the ancient rites and spells from the beginning of our time. It only reveals itself to those worthy of its power"

"And I found it, so would that mean that I am worthy then?" Aphrodite asked.

I rolled my eyes, "Of course you are silly. You're the consulate to the High Priestess of the most Powerful Vampire that ever existed, apart from Nyx. Duh!" I decided to use her own sass back at her. I noticed it worked when her lips turned upward and she laughed a good hearty laugh.

"You know Zoey, for the first time, I'm not going to talk back because you are 100% correct." Aphrodite said as her smile widened. "Come, let's get something to freshen up with and go meet up with the rest of the nerd herd."

"You know your part of that nerd herd too" I said slyly with a smile as I walked into my new little kitchen. I opened the fridge to see it fully stocked with bags of blood, fresh fruits, meats, vegetables, anything and everything I could imagine.

"Oh! Mango's!" Aphrodite squealed as she pushed passed me and grabbed the large fruit out of the fridge. "Ohmygod, these are sooo good!"

"I know, I know. Well, now you don't have to steal from the teacher's lounge anymore for your precious mangos" I rolled my eyes.

"I know! I can just steal them from you now" she smiled.

I took out three bags of blood and handed one to Aphrodite and offered another to Anastasia which she took gratefully. Each bag had a small straw attached to it. Made me think of the small milk pouches we got as kids in elementary school.

"You know, I just had a thought" Aphrodite started.

"Hmm" I said between pressed lips slurping up the blood as fast as I could.

"We don't even know where Stark is. Remember, he left to go find Heath but never returned"

I put my bag down, "I totally forgot! Maybe he just found a place to rest since it was so close to sunrise. You know him and the sun, he can't stand it. And he was out there without a cloak" my face suddenly felt withdrawn of color and my mind felt heavy. Where was Stark, was he ok? Had he found Heath and somehow they were both sucked into this alternate Realm. _Nyx, please help me!_

"Priestess" Anastasia stood and bowed and did the normal salute, "I need to be off to tend to my class, however, I will ask my students to keep a close lookout for him and let him know to see you immediately"

"Thank you" I nodded.

"Please, be very careful" she ended before throwing the blood bag away and heading out of the door.

I flopped down on my couch and threw my hand over my forehead. My head just hurt. I hurt all over. Where was Stark? It worried me to no end until I was interrupted by a knocking on the door.

Aphrodite walked over and opened the door and there were the Twins, Stevie Rae and Damien.

"Wow!" The Twins said together.

"Cool crib!" Shaunee said.

"Totally cool crib Z!" Erin said.

"Absolutely resplendent!" Damien blurted looking around the room with wide eyes.

"Respe what?!" Shaunee looked confused.

"Resplendent Twin, meaning radiant or bright! What a great word to describe the place Damien! It really is!" Erin said. Erin had always been smart; she just didn't show it very often. I think she just didn't want Shaunee to feel stupid.

"This place is so cool Z!" Stevie Rae said with a very strong twang. "This doesn't compare to my place!"

"Well I would hope not with your awful sense of fashion" Aphrodite snorted.

"Hey now, I happen to really love me my Kenny Chesney now!" Stevie Rae defended.

"Oh, I know!" Aphrodite spat, "So much I'm sure you kiss that stupid poster every night wishing he'd come in and…"

"Hey, hey, hey…let's not go there" I interrupted.

"So, what's up Z? You called us last night?" Stevie Rae asked. She was still the beautiful girl I met when I was first marked. Her hair was still the bouncy short curls. Stevie Rae had had it rough for the past few months. First dying. Which was awful, to undying, which I guess in a sense really was just as awful when you think about her munching on that dirty street woman that I saved. Then she became changed when she drank Aphrodite's blood in order to get her humanity back, only to revert from lack of blood, feeding and just about killing Damien in the process (thank the Goddess that my Dad, my REAL Dad was a healer) to dying again and being reborn as a normal Vampire, thanks to the special skills of my father. Actually, the same thing happened to Stark too. Except he was never a Red Vampire. Now, let's not forget about what happened just a few short weeks ago, when my best friend, was tricked into sleeping with Erik, my ex-boyfriend, who happened to be Stark's real brother, who knew! So the poor girl had been through a lot, and I wasn't much help as we were starting to drift a little more distant everyday.

"Yeah, why don't you all take a seat, would you like some Blood?"

"Eww…not for us, got any cokes?" the Twins asked.

"Sure, I got everything, Damien, Stevie Rae?" I asked.

"Sure, Blood sounds good to me" Stevie Rae answered. Damien just nodded as I threw him a pack of blood with a pre-stuck straw. "So, what's this all about Z?"

I took a seat in the nice upholstered chair that matched my lavender walls with the gold accents. I took a long sip from my second blood bag and started to unfold everything that happened last night. From leaving with Stark, to now not knowing where he is.

"Is your Grandma ok?" Damien asked his face full of worry.

"She is fine now. She is resting in the infirmary, Neferet has given her extra doses of pain meds so she will sleep, but she's alive."

"And you saw Heath in your vision, did you not see Stark?" Stevie Rae looked at Aphrodite who seemed to be caught off guard by the question as she was slowly sipping away at her blood bag and nibbling her mango.

"I didn't see Stark, but it doesn't mean that it's not possible they could be together. I just saw Heath" Aphrodite pointed out. "Actually, I'm getting quiet tired of this charade of constantly going to save the little human boy who can't get a clue. Maybe we should just leave him there"

"Aphrodite!" I yelled. "We will not do any such thing. Yes, I think Heath is foolish, foolish to even come here and offer to be a donor, but he has a family, parents, people who are probably right now freaking out at the fact he isn't home!"

"Well, then we save his ass and the tell him to get the hell lost! He brings nothing but trouble everytime he surfaces." Aphrodite countered. "I'll be damned if every other week or every month something bad goes down here."

I couldn't agree with her more, I didn't want anything bad to go down either, but I knew we had to. "I need us to cast a circle and ask for Nyx's guidance."

"Here, we can use these" Erin picked up 5 different colored candles that were in a sandbox in the middle of the coffee table. Ironically, they were the colors that each represented the elements, yellow, red, blue, green and purple. My whole apartment was surrounded by the elements.

"Here, we'll do it here" I turned to my right, "This is north"

Everyone got into place. It was actually just the space between where the front door was to my couch, it wasn't big, but it wasn't small either. I saw myself looking at the painting of Nyx that hung next to the door, her painting smiled and winked.

"Woah! Did you just see that!" Shaunee said as she pointed her finger towards the painting. I'd swear…"

"it winked at us Twin!" Erin finished.

"Yes, it did wink at you. It is my Spirit painting. When we get this all figured out, I'll show you all the pictures, they all move"

"Wow!" they both said in unison.

I turned to Damien, "It is our first breath, I call air to this circle." I lit the candle and the sweet breeze lifted our hair. I smiled and turned to Shaunee.

"It warms us on a cold day, I call fire to this circle" As always, I didn't even need to light the match to have the candle flame to life. I just shook my head and went to Erin, noticing that Shaunee had a shit eating grin on her face.

"You cleanse and purify us, I call water to this circle" Erin giggled as the water lapped up on her feet.

I walked to Stevie Rae who seemed to be humming a Kenny Chesney song. Sadly, I knew it, but it was a relaxing title, _No Shirt, No Shoes, No Problems. _"You shelter us and we call you home, I call earth to this circle"

Instead of the freshly cut grass or the smell of flowers, I smelt of sand and beaches. "No, Shirt, No Shoes, No Problems is right" I said, "You got your mind on the beach"

"Yep!" she said with a smile humming along with her tune.

I returned to the center of the circle and cast my candle up, "You fill us with life, you are what we are and we are what you are, I call spirit to this circle" I felt the rush of all the five elements enter my body, the little sizzle that always happened. I looked up to the ceiling, envisioning the majestic sapphire sky above with it's millions of millions of stars, "Nyx, help me. Guide us on the right and true path. Help us to find Heath and Stark and hope that we aren't too late"

I felt the elements begin to stir, as if upset. The wind blew in an eerie howl around the entire circle, I looked to Damien and he just shrugged his shoulders. I could feel the warmth of fire becoming more predominant now as it entered into the twisting tunnel of air. Water twist around the fire as if they didn't touch at all and lastly it seemed as though everything in the room began lift up and join in the tunnel, ripping to shreds my beautiful apartment. A loud booming voice called from above, _Be not of fear, for fear will ultimately be the end_

I looked up at the twisting tornado in my apartment to see all five of the paintings dancing around and around, as if never being touched they stayed in place and ironically next to each person gifted with that affinity.

_The end of all is near_, the voice said again. Not a voice I was familiar with. This did not sound like Nyx, it was a much more masculine and deep voice to be our Goddess.

"Who are you!" I demanded. "Who dares to enter my circle!"

_I am the almighty! I am the strong! _It screamed.

I looked around at my friends, they all had fear written all over their faces. "Do not be afraid, nothing can harm us in our circle" I reminded them. "Hold your places! Concentrate on your element!"

Everyone of them closed their eyes, their faces struggled with what they felt was ultimate concentration. As if it took all their force and all them mind, body and soul in order to concentrate on the element and only the element. Aphrodite leaned in closer to me and almost hugged me she was so close. "I'm scared" she said.

"Don't be. Nothing can harm us" I was confident.

_I will not harm you Priestess_ the voice called again. _I am but a messenger_

"Show your true form then we can talk!" I screamed and in that moment everything was back in place. As if nothing had happened at all, in the blink of an eye, it was gone. Everyone opened their eyes and looked around them, perplexed by what they had just witnessed. The only thing out of place was the paintings. Now they rested at the feet of everyone.

"So cool!" Stevie Rae exclaimed. "The fields are swaying!"

"Look at the pretty flowers floating in the air!" Damien shouted.

"I think that my roaring fire is better than all y'alls" Shaunee grinned.

"Twin, I'm going to have to disagree with you, look at these crashing waves! I've never seen any so big before!" Erin looked at the painting with amazement.

I felt Aphrodite's arm tighten around mine as she gasped at what lay in front of me. My spirit painting no longer contained the beautiful Goddess Nyx, but a large man. He was handsome and beautiful with a strong nose and lushish lips that anyone would die to kiss. His eyes were as dark as coal but yet seemed to reflect my image. The man's head bowed down as it spoke, _I am Erebus_


	19. Chapter 19

**I'm such a silly nilly....this just shows that no matter how much research you can do, you can make slips....so sorry if your confused...I just changed Eros to Erebus...because for some very strange reason I thought that Eros was Nyx's lover...and his minion was the Sons of Erebus...don't ask me...my head is clearly not there when I wrote that. Ahh...now for mondays...Thanks for the clarification! Sometimes I need that :) **

* * *

I think we were all in awe as Nyx's lover, pretty much the God among the men, Erebus was talking to us through my Spirit painting. It was totally surreal. Granted, we had all seen Nyx, she had appeared to us many times, but we had never seen Erebus and actually I was calmed by his presence. Everyone was still in their place, held by their elements, but still looking down upon the painting.

"What do you want?" I asked.

_You asked for a warrior, I am here to aid my Priestess. Nyx has sent me to you_

Erebus, my warrior! That was something unbelievable. I could hear the Twins whispering and Damien just stood there with his mouth open in utter awe, Stevie Rae didn't seem to care either way. She was just being attentive. "Erebus" I started to ask. "Where is Stark?"

_He is here, with me_

With Erebus? How could that be, the only way he could get there is if he was….no, I wasn't going to think that at all, that couldn't be possible. "Why is he there with you?"

_He has been called for a higher purpose. Do not worry young one, he will return in due time_

My soul felt torn, Stark and I, granted were no longer boyfriend and girlfriend anymore, no thanks to me, we still held a connection, ever since the first day. I was tied to him with my soul, I knew deep down, he really was my soul mate, no matter what else he was to me, he was close to me like no one was.

_I feel your turmole, I assure you, my lady, that he is safe. Training to be a warrior himself through me. _Erebus laughed a hearty chuckle. _He was just as surprised to see me as you are. Now, I am here to aid you into your other Realm to retrieve the human boy. I believe we do not have much time. You must come quickly._

"How do I?"

_Reach for me_ he said.

"Z?" The Twins started to say. "Are you sure about this?"

"Yeah Z, what if it is a trick?" Damien added.

"There is only one way to know for sure" I said as I stepped out of the center of the circle, bent down to the painting and reached towards Erebus's image. As my fingers drew closer I could feel the energy pulling me. I turned back to my friends, but looking at Aphrodite, "Please keep an eye on Grandma for me. You all be safe and I will be back as soon as I can."

"You can count on us" Aphrodite said. "But what about the circle? It is still intact."

_Do not worry, once your Priestess is with me, the circle will be dissolved. _Erebus added.

I turned my eyes towards Erebus and pressed my hand against the painting as if touching his face. It was a weird feeling, as if the image shimmered over my fingers as my hand was drawn into the painting itself. I eventually felt the tug and pull of the power and was thrown forward, head first into the painting.

When I emerged I could see everyone from the outside. I turned and looked at Erebus, he was huge. If I ever thought Darius reminded me of a mountain, Erebus reminded me of Mt. Everest! He bowed his head to me, "Priestess, you are much wanted" he said as he took my hand, "Come, we must visit with her grace so you will be prepared for what you seek."

I made one last turn to my friends and said "Goodbye", a slight tear ran down my face, which I noticed was no longer blood, but water. What was happening to me here? It was like I was….human again.

"We do not bleed here" Erebus commented as we were silently walking through the green meadows to which reminded me of my first encounter with Nyx. I heard the water rushing down the stream and the breeze was warm against my face. I turned to him, not expecting what he told me.

"Why? Aren't we Vampire's?" I asked him.

"In the Earthly realm you are. That is how you gain immortality, but here, in the Divine Realm of the Goddess, you do not need to be immortal, or vampire, or human, you just are. You are spirit. You don't bleed here, you don't thirst or feel hungry, you just are." His deep voice explained until we finally stopped at a small brook where I saw here.

She was naked, bathing in the stream, splashing the cool water on her face as her wet hair dangled down her back. If I ever thought she looked beautiful, she was now the picture of perfection. I am by no means attracted to women, but hey, she did have a really nice body and I am one to appreciate nice things. Just because you think someone's pretty doesn't make you gay. Well, unless your Damien.

"Zoey!" I heard a familiar small voice call. I turned to see Jack, running through the fields towards me, "You're here! I knew you would come!" he jumped up and down in excitement. "It's it wonderful here!"

"Oh Jack!" I threw my arms around him and hugged him tightly. "Yes, it's breathtakingly beautiful." I smiled down at his angelic face. He hadn't changed at all, but he still bore Nyx's mark on his forehead.

"Nyx has been waiting for you" Jack said as he took my hand, "Hi Erebus!"

"Hello young one" Erebus smiled brightly at Jack, "He is quiet a favorite of our Goddess" he said as he leaned down to whisper it into my ear.

I just chuckled and ran with Jack down to the water where Nyx stood. "Hello my u-we-tsi a-ge-hu-tsa. I'm glad you could join us" Nyx welcomed me. "Come, feel the healing waters" she took my hand and pulled me towards the brook. The water was warm and had a very slight current. I dipped my hands in and splashed the water on my face, feeling instantly refreshed. "The waters help to refresh and heal. You will need it where you will go" she handed me a vile with what looked like the healing waters inside. "Where you go is dangerous Zoeybird. I fear for you." She walked closer and touched her hand to my face, "But I believe in you Zoey. You are powerful and wise. I know you will do the right thing" she smiled.

"I'm scared too Nyx, Anastasia has warned me of the Fairies. It terrifies me that they could be doing whatever they are doing to Heath"

"I think you are mistaken my dear. Why Fairies are not of your realm, and they are not friendly creatures, they would not willingly hurt Heath unless he has charged against them. They try to remain peaceful, but they are vigilant warriors if any of their kind are hurt. I think you already know that though"

I thought deep inside and Nyx was right. I didn't think the Fairies were the ones chasing Heath in Aphrodite's vision. It was something much worse. "No, you're right. I don't think it is the Fairies. I think it's something bigger."

"You are right my child. Now, you must go. Erebus will take you to the next realm. He will protect you, but should anything happen, drink the water, but just a drop." Nyx warned. "And remember your heritage u-we-tsi a-ge-hu-tsa. Remember your Cherokee ancestors, they will be able to guide you in defeating what evil you face back at the House of Night." Nyx leaned in and kissed me on my forehead and tracing her hands around my mark on my face. "Such a beautiful woman you are. You are so dear to me. Now go"

My eyes shined and a wide smile crossed my face, "I will be safe, and thank you…for everything"

"Do not thank me, it is you that has lead the right course. I've just helped you along the way." She smiled again and ushered me off.

"Isn't she wonderful Z!" Jack exclaimed as he took my hand again to take me up to Erebus.

"Yeah, she's great." I smiled again, knowing that once more, I was in Nyx's favor. "Jack" I started to ask.

"Yeah?"

"Is Stark here?" I asked, worried about the answer I would get.

"I think you would know that already. Hadn't Erebus told you of his plan?" Jack looked at me with narrowed eyes and a confused face.

"He told me he was training to be a warrior…and he was with him." I shrugged.

"Yes, Stark is here, and he is training to be a warrior. A warrior for Nyx. Nyx has decided that his faithful heart and courage has earned him a special place in the Sons of Erebus. He's very powerful Zoey"

I blushed, knowing just how faithful and courageous that Stark was, "Yes, I know"

We met back with Erebus who was sitting at the top of a large hill just east of the brook where we saw Nyx. He was looking at the horizon beyond the mountains. "It is beautiful, is it not?" he said, I jumped because I wasn't sure he knew we were there.

"Yes, it is. I haven't seen a sunset in a long time" I admitted. Since coming to the House of Night and Changing, I could barely stand the sun, much less look at it.

"It won't affect you here, or any other realm but your Earthly one." Erebus continued. "But I must warn you. Once you leave here, your requirement for nourishment will return. You will require blood to maintain your strength, and were we are going, your going to need as much as you can get."

"I'm willing" I said very calmly.

"Good, then let's set off. We have a long journey"

With that, Erebus rose and took my hand. I turned to Jack and said Goodbye, giving his hand one last squeeze. "Damien misses you terribly" I ended.

"I know" Jack said as he head hung. "I hope one day, I'll see him again"

"I'm sure you will" I said with a smile and took off with Erebus down the hill.

"There is something I must show you first so your soul will be at ease." Erebus guided me down to what looked like a large field, beyond the edge was a dark figure that looked like he was dancing. As we got closer I recognized the figure more and more. He wasn't dancing, but throwing kicks, punches, twists and turns. It was Stark.

"Stark!" I yelled as I let go of Erebus's hand and ran towards him. I saw him stop and turn as he started to run towards me as well.

"Zoey!" He yelled running faster and faster. For Vampires, we were quick, so we didn't run for long before we threw each other into our arms and hugged tightly. Stark swung me around in a circle and nuzzled my neck breathing in my scent.

"I was so worried about you" I whispered into his ear. "I thought something horrible happened to you!" I could feel the tears starting to build up in my eyes.

"I am here and safe" he said as he took his face away from my neck and looked at me in the eyes before softly placing a kiss on my lips. "What are you doing here?" he asked.

"Erebus brought me. He is taking me to...save Heath"

"Ahh, the lowly human that continues to make trouble." He laughed. "You know Zoey, I know that you have a bond with the human, which out weighs any bond with anyone else, but when is enough, enough?"

I pulled away, "I know, I know. You're not the only person to tell me that" I sounded exasperated.

"No, really, Zoey, I want you to think about that really hard. Are you going to go to his rescue every time he does something stupid?"

"If that stupid thing happened because of me, then yes, I will go to his rescue, as I would expect you to come to mine if it was your fault I was in trouble. Just because I'm a Vampire and he's a Human doesn't mean that it's any different a circumstance."

"Yes, it does Zoey" he said pointedly. "I have had many discussions with Erebus since he brought me here just a day ago, to you, its not a long time, but here, it's like time stops. I feel like I've been here for years. However, that's besides the point, but Erebus has taught me that we should take care of ourselves and our kind. Though, interaction with Humans is supposed to be favorable, we don't risk our skin for their's. It's just not how it works"

"So, if that's true, if you saw someone about to jump off a bridge, you wouldn't try to stop them because they weren't family or close friends? It's the same principle, and one I plan on changing. Just because we require human blood to sustain us, doesn't mean they are nothing but cattle. They are people, and we all were once Human"

"Zoey, I'm so…" he started to say before I cut him off.

"No, I'm done listening. I don't want to talk about it anymore. I'm going to get Heath, I'm going to rescue him. But if you think that humans are no more worthy than a fly, then you might as well start shacking up with Aphrodite. Seems you both have as much hatred for humans as I have a love for them."

"That's not what I was going to say" he took his hands and placed them on my shoulders, "I did not mean to distress you. I just want you to see the light Zoey" he looked into my eyes, seeming to search for any reason, which I wasn't going to give him. "We are Vampire's, we are no longer human. If we let humans continue to endanger us, then we will all die. I have a bad feeling about Heath. I know you have a special bond with him, but I fear for the amount of trouble that he brings. He needs to stay away, or I might be forced to keep him away" he dropped his hands. My mouth was gapping open. "I'm sorry Zoey, but this is how it has to be. Those are my instructions. To protect you and my kind at all costs"

I thought about what he said. Protecting me and our kind. He was right. I wasn't human anymore, but there were so many humans that I still cared about. My Grandma for one. She was my rock, I loved her more than anything else in this world. As much as I didn't want to admit it, my Mom. Through her shell of shallowness, she was still the sweet and loving mother I've always had. Heath, who, we were childhood sweethearts, always managed to cheer me up, even in my down times and never cared that I changed, though I had a sneaky suspicion that it was from the Imprint. I decided to cave, but cave only so much.

"You're right. We should protect our kind no matter what the cost. But only harm those who seek to harm us." I added. I wasn't about to bring an outright war with the Humans like Neferet tried to do. Mine would be justified. I wanted us to be at peace with the Human populations. I looked back at Erebus who was waiting at the top of the hill that overlooked the meadow. "I need to go"

"I know, I will be back soon. Do not worry about me. But I will be worrying about you. I am never far from you Zoey, know that" he took my hand and kissed it, just like he did that first fateful night when he revealed himself to me. I knew from that moment that we were close, close even though we didn't really know each other, we were tied, soul mates.

I smiled and gave him one last hug as I flung my arms around his neck. "I'll be ok. I promise" I said as I let go and turned to walk up the hill. My heart ached to leave him, but I had a bigger mission to accomplish. I walked up the hill to meet Erebus and gave one last look down to the meadow, Stark was still standing there, looking up in my direction. I turned back to Erebus and said, "Let's get this over with"

And with a wave of his hand, a shimmer appeared out of no where and we were gone from the Divine Realm.


	20. Chapter 20

If you've never walked between Realms before, it's a bizarre experience. It's like having the wind knocked out of you. It wasn't like when I came through the painting guided by Erebus, this was stepping through time. Made me feel like being part of the Star Trek crew at warp speed. Yes, I'm a nerd if you didn't know that. I even mumbled, "Beam me up Scottie" and Erebus gave me a weird look as if he wasn't sure what I was referencing. I couldn't contain my laughter at his startled face and my uncontrollable ability to really out myself as a total geek.

When we finally settled in the Realm of Fae, it was overwhelmed by just how spectacular it was. Lord of the Rings spectacular with its grazing fields and majestic mountains. The grass was greener than anything I'd ever seen, and the smell, oh the smell. It was like fresh cut roses, no, hint of lavender, maybe, I couldn't quiet put my finger on it. It was amazing and I couldn't stop inhaling. Though, Erebus did tell me it was time to go, though I barely heard him, I was fascinated by all that wondrous sights around me. Birds were singing, the sky was the brightest blue I'd seen, as if when the earth was first created, this is what this place looked like.

"Here Priestess, we go to the tower at the outer edge of the cliff face there, to the north" Erebus pointed out right in front of us. "It is a good 2 day journey, but I imagine we'll get there much quicker"

If I knew what he was talking about, I'd have pegged him to be the father of Darius. He grabbed my hand and took off with such speed; I barely was able to catch my breath. Everything blew by like fast little lines whirling in front of me. We went over the field and through the woods, and I might as well been singing "To Grandma's house we go".

We came to an abrupt halt. I leaned over with my hands on my knees and breathed in and out like I had run a marathon. "Are you alright Priestess?" Erebus asked.

I held up a finger as if to tell him to give me a minute, "Yeah…just…fine…out…of…breath" I managed to get out.

"Here, drink this" he took a small little purple bottle out of a sachel attached to his waist. He uncorked the top and handed me the refreshment. It was an explosion of taste in my mouth, "Blood!" I yelled.

"Shh, we must not give way to our being here Zoey. There is still much danger for us" he stated as he started to walk around in a circle and scout out the area around us. We had stopped at a small forest, much like the one that Aphrodite described. Trees as tall as the Sears Tower and shrubs and flowers I had never seen before. I plucked a flower from the ground and twisted it in my fingers, "No!" Erebus shouted.

I looked up at Erebus who was racing towards me, he grabbed my wrist and threw the flower out of my hand, "Hey!" I snapped, "I was only looking at it!"

"Look Priestess" he motioned for the flower that was now wilting on the ground and turning a very disgusting green color. A low and foul odor started to pass through the area. "We must leave"

"Can we just walk?" I asked still out of breath even though I had a new burst of energy from the bottle of blood that he gave me, which I ended up giving the bottle back to him.

"Yes, we can walk, but we must make haste." Erebus took my hand and we started a brisk walk. Now, a brisk walk with Erebus, or any Son of Erebus was more like a jog than a walk. I found myself having more trouble keeping up when 'walking' than running.

When we were free of the odor, gassy smell of that foul flower that I'm determined never to pick again we stopped once more. "See there, that cliff how it looks a bit strange?" Erebus asked.

"Yes, it's like there is something hanging off of it" I squinted trying to get used to seeing in the light again, as the sun didn't bother us here.

"That is where we are going. That is the High Court of the Fae. The Queen lives there."

"What is the Queen like?" I asked.

"Like her people, foul, ugly and mean creatures. These are not the fairies of your fairy tales from Earth. These are dangerous creatures Zoey" he warned.

"Why are they so mean? Were they always evil?" I asked, if they were made evil by something, then maybe we could do something about it.

"They are evil by nature. They generally leave other's alone that do not bother them, but one harmful thing to a tree, or a flower" he gave me a look that I understood and mouthed "oh shit", "They are ruthless, that is why we must keep on the move. We must find your human friend and leave here undiscovered."

"Well, we are creatures of the night, should we just wait until the sun goes down. At least we can move silently and not be seen"

"Very wise child. We shall do that indeed. Let's find a stream to freshen up and we will camp until nightfall"

Erebus stood and I took his hand once again. We walked for what seemed like just minutes, but we covered almost half the country it seemed until we found a small stream. I kneeled down and splashed the cool and refreshing water on my face. It smelled sweet. I cupped my hand and took a small bit into my mouth, it tasted as sweet as it smelled. When I looked down at the water I saw a small reflection of a small person. I turned around quickly but saw nothing.

"What is the matter Zoey?" Erebus asked as he splashed on water on his face as well.

I just shook my head, maybe I was just hallucinating. "Oh, nothing, I thought I saw something"

Erebus stood tall and looked around us, "What did you see?"

"It's nothing. Probably just my mind playing tricks on me"

"Tell me what you saw" he said in a very gentle voice and kneeled down to look at me in the face. "You can trust me Zoey"

"I thought I saw a little person…that's all. When I turned around it was nothing" I shrugged my shoulders.

"Then they know we are here then" He stood again and said wearily. "We must go"

"Why go where?" a deep and very seductive voice said from behind us. She was as tall as I was, which wasn't all that tall, considering that I stand at five foot six inches. She was probably a bit shorter. Her bones looked like metal poking out of her skin thin and pale skin and she was naked all for except what looked like steel squares over her breasts and her privates. She was creepy looking. "I see you have been enjoying my fresh spring, and also managed to kill one of my flowers, is that not so?" she asked. Her red hair was like flames that stretched out beyond her head.

Erebus tried to usher me behind him but I pressed forward, standing in front of this creepy looking fairy with spiked wings that actually looked too small for her boney frame. Behind her was like an army of small little skeleton like fairies, teeth bared and ready to fight. They growled like little creatures in those horror shows. "I'm sorry. We meant no disrespect" I bowed my head. "It was arrogance that I picked the flower, I thought it was beautiful, and we are tired from our very long journey and wished only to refresh at this spring so we may regain some strength."

I looked up at the woman and we studied me with a curious eye, "Where do you come from? As this is the Fairy Realm, all those who live here are Fairy. You are not of Fairy"

"I am from the Earthly Realm, ma'am." I bowed again, thinking this is a custom that should be done in front of this, what seemed like a very powerful woman.

"I am Erebus, I dwell in the Divine Realm with my Lover, Nyx, the personification of Night. This is her fledgling and High Priestess, Zoey" Erebus did not bow, he stood mountainous over the woman who's eyes went wide with what looked like surprise.

"A lord from the Divine Realm in Fairy? It can not be" she smiled. "You shall come and feast with us then. If you both are so chosen by Nyx, then you must be special guests in my home. I am Queen Allure, High Queen of Fairy."

She clapped her hands and all the other small fairies started to surround us, "Do not be frightened, they won't hurt you….yet" she said as she turned to walk away from us. It seemed the small fairy people were pushing us to follow her, and we did. We followed her all the way to her palace, the palace on the cliffs.

It didn't take us long to get there. Actually, it seemed much closer than I thought it was. We were treated pretty well for being so forewarned by Nyx and by Erebus and Anastasia. Yes, they were creepy looking people, but maybe they were just misunderstood. Could there be good, giving people below the surface of their grotesque exterior?

We sat down at a very long crystal table. It shown in all colors imaginable and it had me mesmerized. Small waiters flew to our seats and gave us utensils which were made of glass and brought out a first course of some special soup. I dipped my spoon in the soup, which was a steaming broth of what smelled like chicken and vegetables. My mouth watered with the smell, "Your Majesty" I started.

"You may call me Allure" she interrupted and until that moment, I noticed she had no soup in front of her. She sat back in her high backed golden chair with narrow eyes and her hands clasped together in front of her.

"Allure, what kind of soup is this? It smells marvelous." I turned to Erebus who was also not eating the soup.

"It is…" she paused, "Chicken and vegetables, please, enjoy"

I looked back at Erebus who had narrowed his eyes back at the Fairy Queen. "What do you mean by this trickery Queen of the Fae?" he asked. "I know and you know this is not a soup, but a potion"

Allure twisted her hand and raised her eye brows, "Whatever do you mean?" she said in a very "yes I'm so very evil and I'm so tricking you" type voice.

Erebus smacked the bowl out from in front of me and as it spilled onto the table I saw it melt right through the crystal. I gasped. "You were going to kill me!"

"My dear, I have no use for human" she smiled. "And I can not kill a god"

I felt the gooseflesh take over my arms, legs, all over. No use for a Human. Did they in fact have Heath then? Or was my worst fear realized?

"What do you know of a boy that was mistakenly brought to your realm here?" Erebus demanded.

"Boy, what boy?" she looked startled, but I wasn't buying it. "I have seen no boy in my palace or roaming my fields"

I felt my spirit tumble in my stomach and I spoke up, "You're lying. Where is he?!" I screamed and leaned over the table while I smacked my hands on top of it. "So help me Nyx, I will bring you and all your kind crumbling down if I do not tell me where he is!"

Allure just laughed, "If you really think you can, as you say 'bring me and all my kind crumbling down' I'd love to see you try." The ending of her statement she bared her teeth. They were sharp and jagged, perfect for tearing meat and they were stained red. I felt a horrible feeling deep in the pit of my stomach. I still did not know for sure that Heath was dead, but I keep getting the feeling he was going to be soon.

"Where is he?!" I screamed again, this time raising my hands over my head and silently calling Air to me as it blew around me and Erebus in a terrifying tornado.

"Maybe I was wrong about you" she pointed to me with her slimy, long and boney fingers whose nails needed a serious manicure as Aphrodite would put it.

I narrowed my eyes at her, "And what the hell does that mean?" Erebus rushed to me and tried to calm me, saying how it was rash to be so hostile.

I turned to him, "No, she tried to kill me" I pointed towards Allure who was sitting back in her chair eyeing me like candy.

"My dear" Allure said as she got up front her seat and gentle flew to my side, "Now that I know you're simply not human, I have no need to kill a being that is so entwined with the elements. You would be of most use here" she smiled her creepy, toothy smile that made me cringe.

"I do not want to be of use. I want to get my friend and leave. I have no quarrel with you or your people. I wish I retrieve what is mine and leave" I started.

Allure turned her head to the side, "And what do you think is yours to take?"

Just as she said that a woman, much taller than any of the other fairies I had seen, at least that was until I saw she was wearing platform boots that came up to mid-thigh. She wore a purple latex miniskirt with a bustier top. Her hair was cut short into a cropped look and it was fire engine read. Her wings were transparent except for the purple lightning bolts that patterned all over. Her face was cruel and snarled up. She carried a chain with a dagger at the end around her wrist. "Queen" she said. Her voice was high but raspy, as if she smoked a whole pack of cigarettes before coming in. "You called."

"Yes, our guests would like to see the prisoner quarters. They are searching for someone in particular. Let them have him if they find him" she instructed. "Now" the Queen turned back to us "You may have your filthy human if you find him, but you can only have him, no one else. Anyone else down there that does not belong to you, you may not have"

"You have more than one human down there?" I asked surprised that any Human could have come all this way and no one know about it.

"That is for me to know" the Queen snapped. "Now go, before I change my mind"


	21. Chapter 21

We followed the tall fairy out of the dining hall, or whatever hall it was that we were in. This whole place was weird so I wasn't sure what was what. We walked down these very dirty stairs that looked ancient, but yet of course, this whole realm was. When we came to the bottom, there were two lit torches on either side of the wall. The Fairy ahead of us took one and gave the other to Erebus; "You're going to need this" she smiled. All the nasty and cruel expression had left her face and she looked somewhat human and full of life.

The gate to the prison was of crystal. I would think that it would be easily broken.

"You would think so, but this is the hardest crystal in the entire universe" the fairy answered. "And don't be too freaked, I am the guardian of the prison for a reason, I am psych by all means necessary. I can read anyone. Which is why no one has ever escaped from my prison without me knowing" she turned back around and continued down the long and dark hallway until we reached an opening. "I trust your intentions to retrieve your friends if he is here, or alive, and then to leave shortly afterwards. I warn you, our Queen is very manipulative. She may decide to ascend war on you even though she has given you the right to come and free him."

"Why do you tell us these things?" I asked.

"We were not always such mean creatures" her eyes looked sad as she looked down to the floor, "I can not speak of such things anymore, as it is forbidden, but I assure you, while you are in my charge, you will not be harmed."

"Thank you….um, I'm sorry, your name is?" I asked.

"Maurelle. And you're very welcome."

"Maurelle, you will be much rewarded by our Goddess for your kind nature" Erebus said as he bowed to her.

Maurelle, even in the dark, and since I could see in the dark much better, actually blushed. "It has been quiet a while since we have had visitors. Come, I will take you to where we have put the newest ones that have arrived"

"Newest ones? How do they get here? I assume you mean Humans?" I asked

"Yes and no, and I am not sure how they get here. Actually, they have been coming more recently. We usually only got one or two humans in a century, we have received 20 in the past few days, most of them Vampire's and fledglings. The humans do not live long. I fear something dreadful is about to come about, but I fear for my immortality here as a fairy to say anything to the Great Queen"

"Has she always been the Great Queen?" I asked.

"No. Only in the past century. We once had a loving Queen, Tania. The seventh daughter of a seventh daughter. When King Edric died during the battle of the Eastern King, the Queen was distraught and took her own life to live in the Summerland's to be with her beloved, leaving me behind. Since then, our lives have been turned to darkness. Fairies turned on fairies. Evil and darkness spread in our blood, hence, what we are now"

"How do you know of this?" Erebus asked as we continued walking. "We have always been told that Fairies are by nature Evil"

Maurelle stopped and turned to face us, "Because I am Tania's only daughter. And we are NOT evil by nature, that is only what the Great Queen will have everyone believe. You forget Lord, we are centuries older than you or your Goddess are" She turned back around, I could sense the turmoil in her soul as she took us further down into the prison.

I wanted to reach out to her, but I couldn't. I needed to find Heath, I needed to fix what was happening at the House of Night, there was so much to do, and yet I felt I had to do something here. People living in darkness, that just wasn't right.

"Here is where we keep the humans. If you find the one you are looking for, I will open the gates, and then you must leave, immediately." Maurelle instructed. "There is little I can do anymore about the way we live, even as a daughter of the Great King Edric, daughter of Queen Tania, I do not have the strength or courage anymore to fight against the Dark Queen." I saw the tear drop fall down her face.

I couldn't help myself, I walked close to her and reached up and put my hand on her face, "I wish I could make this better. I can't promise anything, but I can try to come back to help you"

"You can not help us. Most of our people are long gone, killed by Isenmort. The Dark Queen's army has taken over the lands and only she has control"

"Isenmort?" I asked confused.

"Metal. My mother was half human and half fairy. She was able to touch it for most of her life. My Aunt Rathina could touch Isenmort without harm that was her gift. Metal is dangerous to us, we can not touch it or be around it. It is like a poison"

"Then come back with us." I was surprised to hear myself say that. I felt I had to reach out to her. I may be a Vampire, and from all the books I've read from Charlaine Harris, Vampire's LOVE Fairies, but I wanted to help her. "Please, leave this place with us. Be happy again"

"Alas, I wish I could. If the Dark Queen were to find of my escape, she would break the barriers to the Human world to find me. I can not let her do that" She turned around, "Now come, we must be swift"

We went into the prison and I saw many cells. None had bars of steel on them, no noise of rambunctious criminals making faces or noises. These people, as we passed seemed to be incased in something. Some orange orb of some sort.

"They are in an Amber Prisons. It keeps them alive, but frozen. They never sleep, they never age. For all eternity, they are stuck there."

"Poor souls" Erebus said. "How do you free them?"

"Only the Dark Queen can, but from what my mother has told me in stories, Isenmort was always able to break an Amber Prisons. That is how she freed my Father and how she freed my Grandfather Great King Oberon."

Erebus looked like he was contemplating something. I knew he carried a sword or two with him which was probably made of metal, or Isenmort.

I walked over to each orb, most covered it thick dust. As I wiped away the dust I saw the poor faces of the humans trapped inside. I felt my own Spirit ach from the sight and I knew Nyx would never put up with this from anyone. I touched the first orb, was the face of a young girl, frightened, and she looked no older than maybe 12.

The next orb held a male adult, probably in his mid twenties, he had a vampire tattoo across his forehead. "Erebus!" I shouted.

He came running over and he gasped. "Dear Goddess, it is Ate! I thought we lost him when Neferet was turned, he was abducted into the Fae Realm?" he looked at Maurelle, "His is one of our Sons of Erebus! You must let us free him."

Maurelle gulped and looked from Erebus, who was not very happy, and nor would I piss off a God either, who happened to be the lover of Nyx, the personification of Night. "Free him if you must, free them all"

"But the Queen" I started to say.

"I will deal with the Queen. She has ruled this land far long enough and has done many dreadful things. If he is one of yours, you may have him, since she instructed that what was your, you may have. Do not open his orb yet, wait until you have found who you can to look for, then you may free all the rest and I will show you a way to leave this place quickly."

I ran from cell to cell, dusting off each orb until I came to one that glowed and almost seemed brand new. "Heath!" I saw his face and I felt the tears come down my cheeks. "Oh poor Heath! Erebus I have found him!" I ran up to the orb and touched it. "It will be ok. We will get you out of here. I promise" I kissed my fingers and placed them on the orb over Heaths lips. We may not be together anymore, I may not want to be together with him anymore, but that didn't mean that I didn't care about him. I still loved Heath, maybe not in a boyfriend kind of way, but I love him like I love my Grandma. I would die if he was hurt or died, just as I would if something happened to Grandma too.

Erebus came to my side, "Stand back" he drew his sword and swung at the orb. The moment it made contact with the Amber Prison it started to crack and then instantly burst into dust sending Heath hurdling to the floor coughing. "Zo!" he coughed again. "How did you find me?" coughing some more.

"Don't worry about that, but we need to hurry and get out of here." I put my arm around his shoulders and helped him up.

Maurelle walked up to Heath, stood in front of him, for the first time I could see through her thinning pale skin that she was once a great beauty. "I am deeply sorry for what my people have done to you. If I hope to right what has been wronged, I hope that you will forgive what has happened here"

Heath just stood there, "Yeah, whatever" Typical for upset Heath, but not really typical for his character. No matter what anyone thought about Heath, he was a gentleman down to the bone; his parents really did raise him right.

"Young lad, take this and smack against all the orbs here in this prison" Erebus commanded of him.

"Who are you?" Heath asked.

"No time for questions Heath!" I yelled at him. "Just do it!"

Erebus and Heath rushed to each of the Amber Prisons with metal swords, or Isenmort as Maurelle would call them and unchained those held captive inside. It wasn't long before we heard a thunderous scream and it felt like the whole castle has shook.

"We must hurry!" Maurelle cried. "She knows they are free, we must go!"

The last of the orbs to be freed was Ate. The moment we got him up and walking he seemed just dazed and confused as to where he was and why he was there, as was everyone else.

"Take my hand" Maurelle instructed. "And then take the hand of the person next to you"

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"It is my gift, to walk between Realms. Just like my Mother's, only she was allowed to take those she loved, I can take whomever I like. I can go anywhere my heart desires, not just what's in place here in another realm." She said with a smirk.

We all clasped hands just as we saw the shadows coming down the stairs, I heard a terrible scream, "KILL THEM!" I heard the Queen's raspy voice boom as more of her creepy little skeleton like fairy soldiers started to descend upon the prison.

"On three, One…two…three"

It seemed like we side stepped. As if there was an invisible barrier that allowed us to walk through and we walked right into a big grassy field. It looked much like the field to where I saw Nyx and Jack. "This is the Divine Realm. You will find your Goddess here" Maurelle said.

Erebus turned and nodded to her. "Maurelle, it has been a pleasure to meet your acquaintance and I hope we will see you again. Much luck on your journey" he smiled at her and kissed her hand, which she blushed.

"Zoey, I must tell you that you have been quiet a brave one and Nyx will be very proud of you. Now go, there is much darkness still where you are going. But remember, as always, what is dark does not always equate to evil as light does not always bring good" and he was gone. I was left with Ate, Heath and about 10 other humans that had been abducted along with about 8 other vampires and fledglings.

"Are you ready to go back?" Maurelle asked.

"I am" I took her hand once again, took Heaths hand and he grabbed the next person, then so and so forth. "Take us to the front of the House of Night"

And as before, we side stepped and was magically in front of the gates of my House of Night. I smiled realizing that I was home, and now it seemed like no time has passed at all. It was still dark out, though it felt really early. I turned to Maurelle who had a sad look across her face. "What is wrong?"

"The Queen will come looking for me, but I have no where to go. I can go back, but now the Queen will certainly kill me. I don't belong here, can't you see?" she pointed to her wings, or where her wings used to be. "What the…"

On the ground lay her wings withering up and turning to dust. As she looked back up, I gasped, she had been Marked. It was certain that the crescent moon was distinct, but it was not sapphire like ours, or red like Stevie Rae's and Stark's used to be, it was emerald green. "I think you do belong" I smirked at her and handed her a small mirror that I kept in my pocket. I know, I'm not that vain, but with as often as Nyx marks me, it's useful to have handy.

Maurelle, shell shocked, reached her hand up and touched her forehead. "How? How can I be Marked? I am Fairy! I am not Human!" she started to cry.

"There is nothing saying you have to be human to be Marked. This is our Goddess's way to thanking you, of making sure you are loved and that you belong somewhere. Because of your loving heart, you helped us. I am Nyx's Chosen, and for you to help me, and her lover Erebus, you have done her a tremendous favor"

Maurelle started to cry as she reached over and hugged me tightly. "I really hope I gain some weight, I feel anorexic here"

I laughed, "I think that's a first I've heard someone say that!" I laughed some more.

I turned around at the other Fledglings and Vampires, and lastly at Heath. "Welcome home everyone. Because of Maurelle's bravery to defy her own kind and her Queen, Nyx has favored her and marked her as her own. I wish you all welcome, now go, be with those you love and visit, laugh, and be merry." I opened the gates to the House of Night and everyone flooded in, except for Heath. The rest of the humans ran down the street heading towards home.

"So, what now? Do I just go home? Or do I get an explanation of what the hell just happened!"

Maurelle spoke first, before I could say anything, "The Queen of the Fairy Realm has been kidnapping Vampire's and humans. She takes the humans to feed the Vampires that she keeps outside of the Amber Prisons. The Queen has a mysterious touch, deadly to a human but that touch can transfer powers from a vampire to her. She has been stealing powers for some time now."

"Mysterious Touch?" I asked. "Like what kind?"

"Like talons." Maurelle added.

I gasped. "Grandma" she had been attacked by the Queen and the Queen had taken Heath. "Does anyone live through it?"

"Only if they are treated right away" Maurelle confirmed.

"Ok" Heath butted in, "I know this is all cool and interesting and shit, but what the fuck just happened to me! Can anyone explain that to me?"

"Please, just please, would you pay attention!" I used my Twin verbiage when they were annoyed. "You were kidnapped by an evil Fairy Queen to be fed to a bunch of Vampires so that the Queen can steal their powers. Got that?"

Heath's face went blank, "Ugh"

"Now do you understand why you can't keep showing up here? I've saved you're ass twice now Heath, I can't keep coming to the rescue because your hard headed enough not to listen for your own good!" I yelled at him. I know that now was not the time to get angry at him for this, but he needed to be slapped or something for it to get into his thick, jockey head of his. "I love you Heath, but you have to stop. You have to stop coming here, you have to stop trying to see me. Not that I don't want to remain friends, but it is too dangerous for you and I to be friends. Do you not get that I will be 17 forever? You will get older and die and I will still look like this!"

Heath was a bit taken back by what I said, and I could feel the pain in his eyes. "I get it. I'm sorry I burdened you by coming to my rescue" his voice was snappy and he quickly turned to walk away. I was tempted to go after him and explain that he got it all wrong, but that's what I always got wrong. I always went back after him and he always came back. If I wanted to protect Heath, I had to let him go. I had to let him be hurt and I had to hurt myself in the process.

I turned around to Maurelle, "Well, I guess I might as well introduce you to a new pack of friends, but let's get you cleaned up first"


	22. Chapter 22

"Zoey! We were…." Aphrodite flung herself at me in a tight embrace, totally NOT like Aphrodite. "Who's your friend?"

"Aphrodite, this is Maurelle. She's…ugh…different, but a new fledgling here. I'm going to have her room with Coraline, since they are both new, I figured they would be perfect together" I said and Maurelle nodded her head, sheepishly shy I see.

"Oh hunny, did you take your fashion tips from the Hot Topic magazine? That look is so not good for you" Aphrodite looked at Maurelle and turned up her nose.

"Hot Topic?" Maurelle looked at me.

"Don't worry, Aphrodite is hateful and she loves to pick on people. But she does have a point, we are going to need to get you new clothes" I said. "You can't go around here in latex booty skirts with your boobs hanging out"

"Well, some guys might like that look, but it really doesn't do with those green eyes and those…." Aphrodite froze and pointed her finger towards Maurelle, "Her ears…why are her ears pointed?"

"Can we come in my apartment and we can discuss this?" I said as I pushed open the door past Aphrodite to see all my friends sitting on the couch looking like they had worry written all over them.

"Z!" The Twins screamed as they came running towards me with a huge hug. Damien and Stevie Rae all joined in. From the Kitchen came Neferet and Erik who also hugged me as I came in the door.

"Everyone, this is Maurelle, Maurelle, this is….everyone. Neferet, she is my mentor, like my mother, Erik, the drama professor, and very gifted actor. Damien, I swear the smartest kid in the whole school, but don't get your hopes up, he runs for a different team" I smiled, Maurelle just looked confused.

"Different Team?" her eyebrow raised. "What does that mean?"

"Nevermind…these are the Twins….though, it's obvious they aren't Twins, but mentally….well, you'll figure it out sooner than later, Stevie Rae, she was my old roommate and my best friend, and of course you've met Aphrodite already"

"Hello" Maurelle said.

"Ugh, Z, not to point out of the obvious, but is there a reason why her ears are so pointy?" Damien said.

"Yeah, I think the nerd herd is finally picking up on that!" Aphrodite sarcastically said.

"Screw you Hag" Shaunee attacked.

Maurelle reached up to her ears and touched them with a new look of worry setting on her face. "Nerd Herd? Hag? What are these words?"

"Ok, ok, everyone, just please sit down and let Zoey explain" Erik calmed everyone down. "Take a seat, come on, move it, move it" he sounded like a drill instructor.

"Why is her Mark Green" Neferet touched Maurelle's face.

"I'm not strange" Maurelle blurted out. "I know your all thinking that, but I'm not!"

"No one said your strange honey" Neferet calmed her.

I leaned over to Neferet, "She's a very strong Psychic, so she can hear your thoughts"

"Ahh….we have a very gifted one here don't we" Neferet said. "Be mindful fledglings, and vampires, we have a psychic in the room" she smiled warmly, just like the motherly smile I'd always loved and adored on Neferet. "Be not weary child, for I am a powerful psychic as well, I share your burden"

Maurelle blushed and nodded as she sat on the odd shaped chair in the sitting area by the big windows.

"Maurelle is not human, nor was she ever" I started. I got weird looks from everyone, including Neferet. "Maurelle is from the Fae Realm."

Everyone gasped, as did Neferet as they all retched away from her. "What did you do Zoey?" Neferet spat.

"Don't you know they are dangerous!" Erik screamed.

"Z, are you sure she's safe?" the Twins asked.

"Yes, I know she's a Fairy, yes, I know they are dangerous, hello, I've been there! And yes, she is safe" I patted Maurelle's hand which began to sweat. "Maurelle helped us escape. She is actually one of the last fairy princesses left in the realm. She helped us free, not only Heath, but Ate, and about 8 other vampires and fledglings that have been missing since before Kalona. The Queen has been entering our Realm and kidnapping them. All this time we thought it was Neferet" I looked over at her, "Sorry, but it wasn't her, it was the Dark Queen. And yes, she is VERY dangerous."

"Where are her wings?" Stevie Rae asked, always asking the obvious. "Aren't Fairy's supposed to have wings?"

"I did, but they fell off and withered when I came here and was Marked by your Goddess." Maurelle said. "I was afraid to go back, I will be killed, I had no where to go. Zoey had told me to come with her. So I lead her to this Realm, back home and that's when we saw the Mark of your Goddess in Green on my head" Maurelle touched the outlined crescent moon.

"It's green though" Damien commented.

"Yes, I know that. I think I know why" I said. "I think because she's of Fae blood. She's not a human, though her mother was half human."

"Now I know why she looks familiar" Darius interrupted, I hadn't even noticed him in the room. "It was told that several centuries ago, the Realm of the Fae was a peaceful one, ruled by the Great King Oberon and his wife, Queen Titania. Titania was the seventh daughter from an Eastern land, which no one had ventured. She had seven daughters. Each had special gifts. The seventh daughter was able to walk between realms, but on the eve of her wedding day, she disappeared and was gone for 500 years. You are Princess Tania's daughter?"

Maurelle's eyes widened. "I did not think that text existed of our time before the Dark Queen"

"There isn't, except for this" Darius handed her a book with rich leather binding.

"My mother's soul book! Where did you find it?" Maurelle's eyes filled with tears.

"Believe it or not, Nyx gave it to me several years ago and told me to hold onto it and that one day, I would find purpose in its text and give it to the one which it belongs. I've had it with me ever since."

"How did you read it? Only my Aunt Sancha could read the text from other soul books" Maurelle asked.

"The text appeared to me like any other book, I wasn't aware it was only for those to which it belonged" Darius answered. "However, I think then the book wanted me to see"

Maurelle hugged the book close to her, "Thank you"

Darius nodded to her and smiled. Aphrodite narrowed her eyes and stood next to Darius and clung on him like a doll. Geesh, jealous much?

"Anyways, Maurelle is here, and obviously I'm not going to let her go back, and it's obvious that Nyx has branded her for a reason." I concluded. "Maurelle has many gifts, and maybe, with all her Fae gifts, Nyx might bless her as well. I'm going to have her room with Coraline too. I want you all to make her feel welcome."

"Well, sorry that we might have freaked out on you, I'm sure you know why we would be cautious, but welcome" Damien gave her a warm smile.

Maurelle nodded her head. "Thank you"

"Yeah, we can be big mouths some times" Shaunee admitted.

"That's right Twin, we totally put our foot in our mouth this time. Welcome Maurelle." Erin said. "By the way, where did you get that outfit? Seems like someone needs a makeover!"

"Ohmygod Twin, I was thinking the same thing!" Shaunee said excitedly.

"Makeover?" Maurelle asked me with worrying eyes.

"It just means they are going to dress you up in nicer clothes, do your makeup and your hair…and these two, know all about shoes too, so you can get rid of those boots" I whispered to her. I looked at Maurelle's face and she was beaming.

"A makeover it is then!"Maurelle said as she stood up. "Come, I am anxious to see this makeover process"

"Awesome!" Shaunee said as she twined her arm around Maurelle's. Erin joining on the other side.

"No worries Z, we'll get her situated in her new room with Coraline and next time you see your friend Maurelle, she'll be a drop dead bombshell"

"Dead bombshell?" Maurelle's eyebrows clinched together with an very worried look on her face.

"It means you'll be beautiful" I told her. "Remember she isn't totally familiar with all our wording, so you might have to explain things to her"

"No problem Z!" The Twins said as they raced out of the door, giggling and skipping down the hall. Maurelle was in good hands with them.

Everyone started to rise to leave. Damien gave me a big hug and walked out of the door. I could sense that he was becoming increasingly lonely since Jack died. If only Jack would appear to Damien instead of just me. Aphrodite took Darius's hand and started to lead him out of the room before he stopped her right in front of me. "I think you have done a right thing by bringing her here, however, I fear that her presence will invoke many dangerous things to come."

"Sadly, I think your right" I said remembering the Dark Queen's scream as we stepped out of the Fae Realm. "Please alert all other Sons of Erebus to be on the watch for anything or anyone suspicious on the grounds. I need to know immediately of any new fledglings or persons visiting on the grounds."

Darius nodded and turned to leave, I caught his arm and whispered, "But don't make a big to do about it, I don't want to freak the students out. I want it to seem like everything is normal"

"Yes Priestess" he turned and bowed to me with his fist over his heart. Aphrodite just smiled and tugged at him to follow her again.

The last ones left in the room were Stevie Rae, Erik and Neferet. I popped myself down on the couch and flung my arm over my head with an "Ugh"

"Zoey" Neferet called. "What happened earlier this evening?" I remember that her and Erik were not in the room when we had the terrifying tornado thingy and I was sucked into my Spirit painting by Erebus.

"It's a really long story. To sum it up, I was summoned by Nyx through Erebus to come to the Divine Realm, which, is where I saw not only Jack, but Stark"

Erik's ears perked up when I said his brother's name, "He was with Nyx?"

"Supposedly he is training with Erebus to be a mighty warrior. I don't know, but from what he told me, he'll be back soon enough, so I'm not worried" I said very none-chalantly. "Anyways, Erebus took me to the Fae Realm and we were going to search for Heath ourselves until the Dark Fairy Queen tracked us down, which was all my fault. Anyways, Maurelle was head of the prison and has been pretty much a slave to this evil Queen for centuries. She told us how to break their amber prisons and free those who were there. We were actually only told to take one, the person we were looking for, but then we saw all these young kids, and other fledglings, vampires, we couldn't help but to help them all."

"Sounds like a complicated journey" Stevie Rae butted in.

"Very" I said exasperated. "Long story sort, the Queen found out we released the others, Maurelle can walk through realms so she took us out of there and now the Queen is looking not only for her, but for all of us. And she's NOT happy and she is NOT someone I would want to see again" I shuddered thinking about what she looked like, that creepy thin skin with the metal like bones sticking out all over.

"Was it awful Z?" Stevie Rae asked. "What was the Dark Queen like?"

"Awful is an understatement. She was creepy. Like, Death. She was the scariest thing I've ever even dreamt about. Makes my skin crawl to think about it"

"You don't think she'll come into here will she?" Erik asked.

"I have no idea" I admitted. "But I think we should take precautions just in case"

All three of them nodded and stood to leave. I couldn't help but to ask before they left, "How is my Grandma?"

"She seems to be doing better, but she's still sedated. She's been having awful dreams while you were away" Neferet said as she touched my shoulder. "Do not worry, Erik and I are tending to her and we will make sure nothing happens to her. Now, get some rest Zoeybird, you haven't slept in a while" Neferet kissed my forehead and walked out of the room. Erik right behind her.

"She'll be fine." Erik said as he took my hand and squeezed as he left, I could see the sadness in his eyes as well. Why was everyone so sad? I could understand Damien, but why Erik? Had it been because of us, I called after him.

"Erik?"

He turned around and stopped in the hallway signaling for Neferet to go ahead of him as she stopped as well. "Is something wrong Z?"

I thought about it for a minute and decided, no, I need to let him go and be his own person and I can't keep chasing after him all the time. It was only confusing for him and for me. "Nevermind" I shook my head and walked back into my apartment where Stevie Rae was raiding my fridge.

"Wow Z, you got a lot of good stuff in here!" she said as she stood up from the fridge with two bags of blood in her mouth and an armful of food. "Here" she tossed the blood bag over. "Your going to need it"

"I know I could. Man…it's been a long day" I said as I went limp in the chair by the dining table.

"I can only imagine. What was it like in the Fae Realm?" she asked curiously while sipping on her blood bag.

"It was beautiful. Like, how Earth might have been thousands of years ago, whenever it was first made. Breathtakingly beautiful"

"And Nyx?" she asked.

"Beautiful as always. Jack really seems to like it in the Divine Realm"

"You know Damien misses him hardcore. It's like he's not the same guy anymore. He's not even reading his books anymore like he used to. I'm really worried Z."

"What do you mean?" I asked worriedly.

"I mean like, Damien is acting weird, ever since Jack…died."

"Well, duh, I was acting weird and not myself when you died" I admitted giving her a look.

"I guess your right. I just worry too much. My momma calls me a worry wart because I worry so much"

I chuckled, "Yeah, you are" I took another long sip of my blood and I could feel the drowsiness consume me. "Hey, I don't mind if you stay here, but I really have to get some sleep. I haven't slept since day before yesterday and I'm exhausted"

"Sure thing, you go on to bed and I'll just watch some TV if that's ok. If you need anything just ask."

"Thanks, I think I'll be fine, I just need to lay down" I got up from the chair and walked down the hall towards my massive bedroom. I closed my bedroom door, stripped off my clothes and just flung myself into bed, not even caring to put on my pajamas. The bed was soft and comforting, as if it was enveloping me in it's warmth and I fell asleep faster than I think I've ever have before.


	23. Chapter 23

I slept better than I had in days. I can tell when I woke up, I wasn't achy or anything. This new bed was amazing! Nala was cuddled up on the other pillow next to mine still sleeping the day away. I woke up and looked at the little purple alarm clock that sat on the glass table next to the bed. It was 6pm. Perfect, that was about my normal time anyways for getting up.

I slowly got out of the bed and walked towards my huge bathroom. The lights almost blinded me when I put them on and I had to squint for a few moments to get used to the bright light. I did my normal ritual, took a shower, washed my face, brushed my teeth, brushed my hair and got dressed. I got to wear my new Priestess symbol on my clothing now that I was a High Priestess. Caren had told me she wanted me to stick around the House of Night here in Tulsa, since Neferet had been thinking about resigning soon. Ha, like that would happen. I doubt Neferet would be leaving anywhere in the near future. So, while I had here still looking after the school, and I was double checking, I was still going to take the classes. I still had much to learn and Caren thought that was very wise of me.

I walked out of the bedroom and into the kitchen, walking past a still sleeping Stevie Rae who was passed out on the couch with a bag of blood resting on her stomach with her hand still clamped on it and a TV remote hanging out of her other hand that was dangling off the couch and the TV running on the Cartoon Network. I chuckled, geesh she could be such a dork. So I walked back to her and took the remote and the bag from her and pulled the blanket that was on the back of the couch over her for just a few more minutes. Then I would wake her.

I walked back into the kitchen and got myself another bag of blood. I was starting to feel an uncontrollable thirst rise up in my throat and from what I had been reading, that was all part of the Change and being an Adult Vampire. Your thirst would increase as you got older and then plateau off. Mine was starting to become more intense, I needed it when I wake up, before I sleep, after I exercise, after any magic at all, circle castings…ext. It was a common thing for me to have and I needed it. I was still glad to be able to still eat food. So I took my bag of blood and sucked on it while I searched the cabinets for my favorite cereal, Count Choculas! I did manage to find a box of Lucky Charms as well, which was Stevie Rae's favorite. I took it down and put each in a bowl, one for me and one for her. When I was done preparing breakfast, I walked over and gently shook Stevie Rae back to life.

"Stevie Rae, get up" I said.

She just grumbled and turned over facing the back of the couch. "I don't wanna get up momma!"

I laughed, pulled the blanket off of her and close to her ear I said, quiet loudly, "GET UP!"

I think that did it as she jumped right out of the couch and onto her feet looking into all the directions of the room as if she was a crazed animal. "Zoey, ohmygod! You scared the poop out of me!"

"Well, you seemed to be enjoying your dream, whatever it was" I laughed at her and her very wild and all over the place curly hair.

"What?" she asked as she ran her hand through her hair, "Oh gross! Ugh…and I just washed it last night….darn it!"

"You can use my shower if you like" I offered.

"Nah, thanks but I'm just going to head back to my room. I have to get ready for my new class"

"New Class?" I asked.

"Well, I talked to Caren and Neferet and they both agree that since I was the first ever Changed Red Vamp, even though I'm not anymore, that I could help the red fledglings that we still have trouble controlling their thirst and lust for blood and all the icky stuff that goes with it. Plus teaching them to be respectable members of society" she smiled.

"Respectable members huh? Well, good luck with that. Hey, I poured you some Lucky Charms!" I said trying to get her to sit and eat with me at least before she bolted. We didn't get much time to talk anymore…well, not since the whole Erik thing. Which, really, I was totally over.

"Mmm, I might be tempted to stay for those. You know they are my favorite" Stevie Rae licked her lips.

"I already poured a bowl for you" I waved it in front of her face teasing her so she was sit and eat with me.

"Fine, but I have to eat quick so I can get to class before the fledglings get there" she sat down and started munching on her Lucky Charms. "So" she said in the middle of stuffing her face. "We're ok then right?"

I gave her an odd look, "What do you mean?"

Stevie Rae put down her spoon and looked at me, "I mean, you and I, we're ok? Like, we're still friends right? I've noticed that we've been kind of….distant since that whole…."

I put up my hand to stop her, "Yes, we are ok, and you don't have to bring it up again. I know that what happened was not of your two's doing. It was Neferet and her awful possession. So I'm looking past it. You're my best friend Stevie Rae. Even though it may have been trying times for both of us, I wouldn't be a friend if I just gave up on you. Friends forgive each other" I smiled and she smiled back.

"Thank you" she said quietly. "I've been kind of keeping my distance because I wasn't sure if you were mad at me or not"

Now this time I dropped my spoon and took her free hand, "I'm not mad at you, and I wasn't. Things have happened just so fast for me right now. From being a Fledgling to a special Vampire to now a High Priestess, it's overwhelming, and I'm sorry I kind of shunned you to the corner"

"It's ok Z. At least now we made up and like my momma always said, "A true friend is one who thinks you're a good egg even when your cracked""

"What?!" I asked laughing and nearly spitting out my Count Chocula's in the process.

"You know, that you're still my friend even though it's obvious that I've had problems…or cracks. Duh Zoey. And to think that you had a thing for Loren Blake…best poet laureate ever."

I dropped my spoon; no she didn't just say his name.

"Oh geeze, I'm sorry, I forgot…see…cracked egg" she pointed to her temple and gave a weary smile. I just rolled my eyes and continued eating.

Once we were done I gave Stevie Rae and hug and she left. I was still in my apartment just lying around, not sure what to do before 8, I had another hour. I decided to go check on my Grandma. So I pulled on my shoes, threw my hair up in a ponytail and walked out towards the infirmary.

As Neferet had told me, Grandma was still on the bed fast asleep. Neferet had sedated her to keep her resting and healing. I knew her and Erik were doing whatever they could for her. So while I waited for school to commence, I sat with her and held her hand and sang the Cherokee lullaby that she always sang to me while I ran my fingers through her hair. "You have to get better Grandma. I can't do this without you" I started to cry.

"She will be well again" Maurelle said as she came out of the dark corner of the hallway startling me.

"Maurelle, you startled me" I said wiping the tears from my eyes, not normal tears, but tears of blood, that soon she will have to get used to. I had to look back at her twice to actually see her. Her hair was no longer short, it was very long and hung in thick auburn waves down to her waist. Her eyes were bright green and huge against her oval face and her lush and pale pink lips. The Twins must have dressed her because she was wearing skinny jeans with knee high stiletto boots and a brown tunic with a thick gold belt.

"Y-you look nice. Quiet a change from the last I saw you" trying to give her a smile, obviously not working.

She knelt down in front of me and wiped my face with her hand. "You love her very much?" she asked.

"She is everything to me. My mother, my grandmother, everything" I blinked hard to keep the tears from coming down my cheeks once again.

"Trust me, she will be better. Let me see if I can help her" Maurelle comforted.

"What do you have an endless list of gifts?" I laughed.

"No, but actually, when my family was killed by the Dark Queen, I was just but a young girl. Before my mother left me she had my eldest aunt Eden weave an enchantment so that if anything should happen to them, that I would absorb all power. That is why the Dark Queen has always kept me. She is afraid of the power I hold in me. Alas, I do not know how to use it until the time comes. She hopes to one day use for me her own evil deeds. I am eternally grateful for you allowing me a way to leave."

"If you have the ability to walk between Realms, why couldn't you leave before?" I asked.

"The portal was closed. I think it was when you arrived that it actually opened again. I'm not sure, I just never really knew how to do it, but I remember my mom taking me to see my mortal Grandparents in London and her always saying it was like a side step."

"So, what other gifts do you have?" I asked, still holding Grandma's hand firmly in my own.

"My aunt Hopie had a gift for healing. She could sense cures for ailments when she mixed herbs together. Sancha could read the texts of our soul books and could find the real truth that lied within text. As you know, my mother could walk between the realms, as I can. Cordelia could speak to animals, which come in quiet useful from time to time." Maurelle smirked. "I did not inherit my Aunt Zara's gift; she was killed in the war against the Sorcerer king well before I was born."

"So you have all those gifts?" I asked, this would be wonderful and amazing to have such a gifted fledgling, none the less one that was a fairy!

"Yes, all except for the gift of music. That was Zara's gift; she could weave enchantments in her music. My eldest Aunt Eden, she was a master in the mystic arts, or what I guess you would call here, magic. She would assume what you do to be great mystic arts magic, even more advanced than she. That is the power of my Grandfather, the Great King Oberon that is able to control the elements as you do"

"What was it like to live in Fairy? I mean…um…because of the wicked witch of the west" I asked, curious to see how it would seem to live there, it seemed like a beautiful place, but no electricity, nothing.

Maurelle laughed, "Wicked Witch of the West, yes, I know that term, I believe from The Wizard of Oz, I remember my mother showing it to me when I was younger. Fascinating show. Anyways, Fairy, you wanted to know…well, you didn't have to worry about growing old, we lived forever, we were immortal."

"Were?" I asked catching her chose of words.

"Well, we ARE immortal, but we are not susceptible to death. If we are hit with Isenmort or killed in battle, it is a final death, but we do not die of natural causes, we never grow old, we never wrinkle. We are, I guess you would say, our own fountain of youth."

"That's pretty cool" I admitted.

"It is. Before the Dark Queen, our lands were vast and beautiful! We had many great mountains and woods with so many flowers and shrubs. The air, it is so much different than here. The air was clean and fresh, nothing to taint it. The water was crisp and cool. It was a beautiful place once"

I saw Maurelle's eyes darken and her face turn from happiness to sad. I could tell she was recalling some bad memories. "It's ok if you don't want to talk about it" I said.

"No, I can talk about it. It's just painful. See, the Dark Queen wasn't always as dark as she is now." Maurelle shifted in her seat and turned more towards me, "There was a time were we all had wings. Everyone flew. However, we were not immortal. When my grandfather became the king of Fairy, he made a deal with a socerer in a far away land to the East, as long as he ruled fairy, no disease or natural cause will harm his people. In exchange, we lost our gift of flight."

"Oh how terrible!" I exclaimed.

"Yes, well, I think I would rather have immortality than wings, however, there was a group of people on an island we call Ynis Maw. They all have the gift of flight still, but they are cruel and mean creatures and prefer to be alone. The Dark Queen was the leader of those people. My mother befriended her. Her name was Clorimel. She helped my mother free my grandfather from the Amber Prison on Ynis Maw where the Sorcerer King banished him"

"So Clorimel is now Allure and she used to be a good guy?" I asked slightly confused.

"Yes, Allure changed her name when my mother left in search of cures after fairy fell under a great curse that ended our immortality and caused us all to get sick. After King Oberon and Queen Titania died of the sickness they found that Clorimel and her people were not affected. Allure took that as they were more righteous than the rest. Her heart started to turn black. She killed villages and burned cities and from then, she was called Allure, Dark Queen of the Fae."

"Do you think she'll come looking for you?" I asked, worried what the answer might be.

"I do not think she knows how to travel the realms, but it is possible if she ever got a hold of a crimson stone. It is the only stone that my aunt Eden enchanted so that they could pass through the realms"

"When was the last time you saw one?" I asked.

"It was in Eden's apartment, but long after she vanished, the stone did too."

"Wow, seems like it's been a tough life so far for you"

"Yeah well, it seems your life isn't peaches and cream now is it?" she arched an eyebrow. I had let my guard down. "Your Step-Loser? What exactly is that?"

Crap! She had listened in my head at my internal monologue about how horrible it was to be her and yet I had gone through some horrible stuff myself, so I sympathized with her about losing her father and losing her mother. "Step-Loser. He is my mother's husband, but he is not my father. He is my Step-Father, but he's a loser and a jerk."

"Ahh, I think I know what you mean, as in he is rough and terrible to you?" she asked.

"Yes, precisely" I sighed. "Come, I will give you a schedule of classes you can take and then you have to get to class, actually, both of us need to."

"What kind of classes do you have here in the Mortal world? Is there music? Arts? Animal studies?"

I realized this was going to be much easier than I anticipated. "Come, let's go back to my room and we'll figure out a schedule that works well for you."

I took her hand and we started back towards my apartment, I was starting to feel at ease with Maurelle, and I hadn't yet asked her if she was made at home with Coraline. I figured they would be a good pair, but knowing they were both kind of shy, and fightened, I wasn't sure how either would react to each other.

"So, what do you think of your room and your new roommate?" I asked.

"Oh, the room is to my liking. Much better than I have been used to for the past thousand years or so. Not as magical as I had anticipated though."

"What do you mean?" I asked her, a magical room?

"When we lived in the Fairy palace, each room was filled with magic or each of our gifts. Since I had all, including psychic powers, which was what I was originally given, my room was filled with lots of magical things. The walls lived, they moved, sang, talked, they were like living beings."

My eyes were wide, wow, how I would love to see something like that.

"Maybe someday you will" she smiled at me and pointed to her temple, "Sorry, sometimes I can't tell what you say out loud and what you think. I don't use my Psychic powers all often."

"What about Coraline? Did you both get along?"

"Oh yes, she is a very sweet girl, but I know she is very troubled. She has night terrors about awful things, worse than any I've ever had about the Dark Queen."

"Did she tell you those things?" I asked

"Oh no, she saw my ears and assumed I was some demon from her dream and that someone was to come after her and kill her. I saw it in her head. I immediately went to comfort her"

"I'm going to have to see what I can do about those dreams, Natasha should be able to help, she is a dream weaver."

"Do not worry, I have healed her of the dirty dreams for the time being. She slept soundly today and was much refreshed this morning before I left"

"Well, thank you Maurelle, I'm sure you and Coraline might turn out to be very close friends" I smiled

"I certainly hope so"


	24. Chapter 24

We got back to my apartment and I pulled out the roster of classes that Caren and Neferet had left me.

"So, we have the typical classes, sociology, literature, languages, well, mostly Spanish because it's so widely used anymore, it might as well be a universal language more so than English. Then you have your choice of Poetry, Equestrian Studies or Drama, and for exercise we have Fencing."

"Oh! Fencing! I am a very skilled swordswoman, at least I always was as a child, we all knew how to handle a sword, and we were great fighters."

"Great, then I will put you down for Fencing with Professor Lankford. We call him Dragon."

I wrote down her schedule, and it was as followed:

Vamp Soc 101 – Professor Neferet

CHOICE OF:

Drama 101 – Professor Night

Or

Equestrian Studies – Professor Lenobia

Fencing – Professor Lankford

Spanish – Profesora Garmy

CHOICE OF:

Poetry 101 – Acting Professor Karmisha

Or

Music 101 – Professor Beach

Literature – Professor Penthesilia

"Here, your second and fifth periods you get to chose which you want to go to and then attend those for the rest of the year."

"Equestrian Studies! Oh, how I would love that!" Maurelle reeled with excitement.

"Professor Lenobia is very stern, but she is the best teacher. If you know how to ride already, then I don't think you'll have a problem in her class at all"

"Oh yes, we all are master horsemen. Like I said, we are very gifted"

"Then you should do fine. Now hurry. Class starts in about 10 minutes and classes end at 3am. Lunch is at 11pm and dinner is around 4am. I have Equestrian Studies second period so if you like, we can meet in the courtyard after your first period and I can walk with you"

"I would like that" Maurelle said. "Thank you Zoey" she turned and walked out of my apartment. I looked down at my watch and realized the time. There was only a few minutes left to get to class. I was still in the Vamp Soc 420 class for sixth formers. Yes, I know, I'm a High Priestess, why do I need to go to class, well, because I'm still relatively new to this and I don't know EVERYTHING.

So I grabbed my bag and headed off to class. I made it to class in just enough time. Caren was actually teaching the class due to the limited amount of teachers we had, especially after the whole Kalona and Neferet thing, a lot of people were hurt, killed, or kidnapped as I recently found out by an evil Fairy Queen.

"Good Morning Zoey. Nice of you to join us today" Caren bowed to me with her fist across her heart.

"Good Morning Priestess" I bowed back and gave her a salute. I took my seat and opened my pad up.

"Class, we will be having our newest High Priestess join our class. Please make her feel welcome and not uncomfortable"

I felt my cheeks blush as she pointed me out to the entire class, and yet, I felt hot all over as I remember now that everyone had seen me naked, down to the bone. Oh geesh, was it really a good idea to come to class. Man…I slumped down in my chair and made sure not to look at anyone in the eye, until T.J. nudged me.

"Hey Z!" he whispered.

I lifted my chin to him and smiled.

"Don't feel so nervous, I hear lots of High Priestesses still come to classes after they are inducted. It's not a big deal" he patted my arm and turned back to his seat and paid attention. Ugh, now if I can make it through the rest of this hour without being called upon or nudged by anyone else I would be fine.

Class ended relatively quick, I was surprised. We talked about what happens when one goes through the Change, what to expect and such. Which I already knew about and of course Caren had be share my story with the class. Oh joy. I better get used to being the center of attention, especially since I was Nyx's Chosen and have been in the limelight for some time now.

I walked out to the courtyard and Maurelle was waiting for me. "Zoey!" her arm waved above her head. I smiled at her and walked a bit quicker towards her. "Wow, Zoey, that class was amazing! I learned so much about what you are and what it means to be loved by your Goddess Nyx! It was so interesting!"

"Maurelle, she's your goddess now too. You are one of her children too, your not just a Fae anymore"

I saw her face change from happiness to confused. "Am I not Fae anymore?" she asked.

"Of course you are sweetie, but your also a vampire fledgling. You're a new kind of vampire. We don't know exactly what you'll be if you change"

"If?" she said. "Wait, I can DIE!"

"You need to learn how to control that or you're going to hear a lot of things you don't want to know. Yes, you rather Change into an adult vamp, or your body rejects the change and you die. But you're a Fairy, so I don't know how that will work with you"

That seemed to calm her down a bit more and we walked together across the field to the stables where we had Equestrian Studies with Lenobia. I loved this class. It was soothing for me to be in the stables and Lenobia and I had grown close since the whole issue with Neferet.

"Zoey" Lenobia said as we walked in, "I take it this is our new fledgling Maurelle?"

"Yes, Maurelle, this is Lenobia."

Maurelle's eyes were wide as if she recognized Lenobia from somewhere. She shook her head and began to speak, "I'm sorry, you just look so familiar to me."

"Do I? Well then I guess we might get along just fine, do you ride Maurelle?"

"Yes, very well actually, though I don't like to brag" Maurelle blushed.

"Nonsense. Half these fledglings won't even pass my class because they can't even make a decent groomer; none the less ride a horse. If you are an experienced rider, then I will take you out of this basic class and put you in my advanced class, after I see your skills of course. So why don't we get you up on a mare and see what you can do" Lenobia winked.

Lenobia walked out to my horse, Persephone. "Zoey, why don't you go get her blanket and riding gear and I will familiarize Persephone with Maurelle."

I walked back and got the gear, knowing that my horse would be gentle with Maurelle. When I walked back I noticed that Maurelle was petting her muzzle and whispering and laughing with her. "She really loves that you come to visit her often Zoey" Maurelle giggled. "She finds it as soothing as you do"

"You know, I don't think I'll ever be used to all your talented gifts Maurelle" I smiled at her and put the blanket on Persephone's back along with the saddle. "Persephone is a great horse and she had done me well when I've been in a pinch. I trust she will do you well too"

"I don't doubt it. The Fae love horses and it's rare to find a horse that doesn't like the Fae…unless you're a unicorn of course" she rolled her eyes.

"Unicorns?!" I asked bewildered. I don't think I'm ever going to get used to all the amazing and magical things from her Realm.

"Yeah, they aren't very nice, but my Aunt Cordelia, who could speak to animals, her husband, Lord Byron could speak to the Unicorns and they were faithful to him."

"That's just…amazing" I mouth.

Maurelle mounted the horse and it looked like it took her very little effort as she swung up and over her back without even using the stirrups and raced out of the stables and into the field. I couldn't help but to laugh at how she was laughing and feeling so free on Persephone. It's like she finally found a place here.

And just when I thought everything was going to be normal again, I got that bad, foreboding feeling in my gut again….Oh crap!


	25. Chapter 25

I normally get feelings in my gut when I know something is not right, or when to shut my mouth. I don't normally get the feelings that were overwhelming me at that moment. It was and awful feeling like when you know someone is about to die. Or a lot of people are about to die. It's like our world had been ripped open and a new evil had emerged. I had meant to go back into the stables and clean up while Maurelle was riding Persephone, but it was stopped in my tracks. It was the howling.

A deep throaty growl was close by, and no, it wasn't Duchess. I was so used to her by now that I would know if it was her. This didn't sound like any normal dog, this sounded like a wolf. A Wolf? In Tulsa? Then I was reminded of my dream, the same dream that I was told to remember. The one I spoke to Vlad about, the Drekavacs. Evil half human, half wolf beings, like the werewolves you see on TV, yeah, those, and they aren't nice. Suddenly I felt frozen with fear as I heard heavy footsteps getting closer to me. I couldn't move. I couldn't blink. I was frozen, utterly frozen.

I heard the patter of feet running swiftly and in my direction as the howls continued and the growl deepened. I felt the ground move to my right by the back wall of the grounds, "Fire, I need you" I whispered. I could feel my face start to flush and the crackling heat, "Send a light…that way" I pointed to where I heard the footsteps.

That is when I saw it, a huge monstrous beast. Its teeth were huge and bared. It stood on its back legs and must have reached to be about 7 feet tall. It was hairy and gross, but at the same time extremely muscular. Its snout dripped of what I hoped was just drool and not blood, but I could smell it on the animal, thing, whatever it was. It had defiantly fed, but I'm not sure from where.

It saw me lock eyes on it as it lunged forward onto its front paws and started to charge towards me. I screamed as I threw fire it it's direction. I took off towards the training ring where Lenobia and Maurelle were at. They must have heard my scream because Maurelle came galloping up the hill towards me, Lenobia in the tail. "Go, Run!" I screamed as I continued to run past them.

Maurelle brought Persephone up to me and she reached her arm out, "Grab a hold!"

I turned my gaze back and the beast was still following me, I quickly took her arm as she swiftly pulled me up on the horse. The beast lunged at us just as we were about to take off. Its sharp talon like claws scraped Persephone's flanks and barely missed us by an inch. I could see Lenobia's face as she saw what was happening. "Fire, burn it up!" I screamed.

Persephone bucked the beast behind it and as soon as it hit the ground it shot up in flames. Its terrifying howls and screams as it was burning flesh from its bones. I turned my face from it and hid it in Maurelle's back. I was breathing so heavily that I couldn't seem to catch my breath. "Zoey?" Maurelle asked worriedly, "Are you hurt?"

"No" was all the answer I could muster.

"Hold on" she said as she steered Persephone back towards the stalls at an alarming rate. By the time we hit the entrance Maurelle leaped off of the horse's back and grabbed my shoulders and pulled my down into her arms. For a frail looking fairy as she is, she sure is mega strong. She sat me down on a bail of hay as Lenobia, who also abruptly dismounted her horse came running towards me.

"Zoey! Zoey dear, are you alright?" Lenobia asked searching me all over. "Maurelle, get the first aid kit, and there is a fridge in the back room, a bag of blood"

Maurelle ran to the back of the stable as Lenobia checked me out, "What was that?!" she asked tucking my hair behind my ears and taking a look at my face to make sure I wasn't marked up.

"Is Persephone okay?" I asked. I wasn't too worried about myself, but I knew my horse had been scrapped.

Lenobia turned back to the horse who was standing directly behind her, "She is fine. Nothing that a good nurturing couldn't cure." She rubbed Persephone's muzzle and escorted her into her stall where she gave her some grain and I heard her whisper what a good girl she was tonight protecting her Priestess.

Maurelle hurried back with the first aid kit and a few bags of blood "I wasn't sure how many she would need" she said as she handed Lenobia the stuff.

"I'm fine, really" I insisted and tried to stand, only to have two sets of hands firmly push me back onto the haystack.

"You are NOT okay. I want answers, what was that and why was it trying to attack both of you?" Lenobia asked in all seriousness. Okay, Lenobia was always serious, and honestly, if you ever got on her bad side, you were in a world for hurt. Lenobia, was not only a gifted horse (woman) and an incredible singing voice (I had managed to walk into the stables one night when she was singing to the horses…her voice, it's like magic all in its own) but she was ruthless and a strong fighter. She reminded me much of Dragon, who, by the looks of him just looks like a normal, abnormally short man, well, not a dwarf or the politically correct term, small person, he was just short compared to the average guy. I like to think he reminds me of Kevin Connelly from Entourage. However, put a sword in his hand…and he is a master with quickness that you'd never seen before, it doesn't matter how short the man is, he was quick and very skillful.

"I believe what that was, was a Drekavac" I said studying Lenobia's face as it turned towards horror.

"As in the tale that Vlad told us?" she asked carefully, "About the demon children who turn to monstrous beasts?"

"Yes, I think that's exactly what they are" I admitted. I looked to Maurelle who's color had all left her face.

"She's here" she whispered.

"Who is?" Lenobia asked snapping her head towards the new fledgling.

"Allure" she said looking straight at me.

"Crap! I thought maybe we'd have more time than this" I said.

"Who, what is going on Zoey?" Lenobia asked me again.

I took a deep breath, and summed up everything that had happened in the past few nights. The nightmares, traveling realms, Maurelle, the Dark Fairy Queen. Everything. I trusted Lenobia. And unlike most of the other teachers, she took me seriously, she never laughed or gave me a look like, "Are you kidding?"

"So this Dark Fairy Queen sent the Drekavac here? But why?" Lenobia asked again bandaging up a small cut on my leg that got caught by the monsters claws.

"I assume for me" Maurelle said. "I escaped; she knows I'm very powerful in our Realm"

"You just assume she's just after you. We all know she sounded pissed when we freed all those prisoners of her's" I raised my eyebrow at her and shrugged my shoulder as I took another sip from the bag of blood that Maurelle got me.

"We must take this to Caren so we can protect the students" Lenobia said surely.

"I agree, the Dark Queen is very powerful, and should she come here, I fear for all of us" Maurelle said.

"Ok, then let's go see Caren" I said as I tried to stand up. I didn't realize how much the scratch really hurt. I limped a bit but managed to be ok. Lenobia helped me up and out of the stables. She said she was going to check on the horses before she left but would meet us in the Council Chambers where Caren had been staying.

Maurelle and I walked out of the stables, quiet a bit earlier than class is supposed to let out. It was almost time for lunch and after that almost attack, my stomach was flipping with the need for food. "Come on, let's get something to eat and then we'll go find Caren and Neferet"

I pulled Maurelle across the courtyard and we got into the dining hall. It was practically empty except for a few fledglings, who I suppose got out of class early, and of course Erik, who was sitting at our table. He always felt weird about eating in the Professor lounge, so he still ate with us, hell, I still ate with the Fledglings and I was a High Priestess now.

"Merry Meet Zoey!" students called as we walked in. Some bowed and saluted me which I acknowledged with a nod of my head. I grabbed the sat across from Erik and plopped down with Maurelle. I was exhausted and hungry, but I wasn't sure what I wanted to do first, eat or rest. I voted for resting.

Erik stopped chewing mid bite into a sandwich he had made, the lettuce nearly falling out of it and he gave me a weird look. "You ok Z? You look terrible!"

"Gee, thanks" I mumbled. I was wondering if I should tell him about the attack, but I didn't even get a chance to open my mouth with Maurelle spilled the beans.

"You wouldn't believe it! Zoey was attacked on the school grounds!" Maurelle said, and loudly enough that the students walking by stopped in their tracks and just looked at me.

"Hahaha" I laughed it off, "Funny joke, Maurelle" I eyed her and nudged her in the side. "You really should keep your voice down; I don't want to scare anyone." I looked back to Erik, "Yes, I was attacked…so hence why I look like crap" I rolled my eyes.

He dropped his sandwich, "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, I'm just glad that I was with Maurelle and Lenobia. Hey, Maurelle is an excellent rider, you should come watch sometime" I smiled at him. I forgot just how wonderful it was looking into his face, how could I stay so mad at him all the time and why I constantly pushed him away. No, I wasn't going to think about that. I am scratching boys off my list. They can be friends, but nothing more. I had enough problems to include boyfriend drama to the mix, not that I hadn't had to participate in those battles before, I was done with it. Time for some ME time.

Erik turned to Maurelle and smiled, "I'd like that"

Uh oh, what was that look for? He gave her _the _look. Was he interested in Maurelle? Ok Zoey, don't get all jealous. He's NOT your boyfriend anymore and you can't get mad if he starts showing interest in someone else. Hell, it might be good to have all guys back off for a while.

So while Maurelle and Erik started to chit chat and play oogley eyes at each other, I left the table and got myself a brown pop and some fruit, which is also when I ran into Neferet.

"Zoey!" she welcomed me with a warm hug. "I come to let you know that your Grandma is doing fine. She has awakened and is asking for you" she smiled.

"That's wonderful! I can go see her after I eat something, I'm….starved" I had to think of something to tell her.

Neferet looked at me sideways, "is there something wrong Zoey?" she asked.

"No, I mean, yes, well, it's a long story and I promise that I'll tell you, after I see Grandma, ok?" I grabbed a mango from the pile of fruit, what the hell; Aphrodite seems to think they are so good; I might as well try them.

"Very well Priestess. Why don't we meet in the Council room with Caren after classes have concluded, that way we all have ample time to discuss whatever is on your mind"

"That would work out perfectly" I said. "Thank you" I added and walked back to the table. By this time, more fledglings had come into the dining hall, including the Twins, Coraline and a sullen Damien. I felt so bad for him. Duchess was following him around like a lost puppy. Even though Stark was back, she still hung on Jack and Damien. And now that Jack is gone, (poor girl) she stuck to Damien like glue. I swear it's like she was protecting him should anything happen.

"Hey Z!" The Twins said as I sat down.

"Hey Zoey!" Coraline said as she sat down next to Maurelle"

"Hi, Z" Damien said less than enthusiastically.

I nodded and gave everyone a smile. I decided to move from where I was sitting, let Maurelle sit across from Erik and I sat next to Damien, who seemed to be in an even deeper mood than usual. Not saying that all gay kids are perky, happy go lucky people, they were normal just like any kid, when someone died, it hurt, especially since Jack and Damien were a couple. "Hey Damien" I put my arm around his shoulders and rested my head on his shoulder, "I hate seeing you so sad" I whispered to him.

"Yeah, well, that's what happens when your best friend dies right? You become melancholy."

"Mel – Who?" Shaunee asked.

"Choly – What?" Erin added.

"Melancholy you nitwits! Meaning really sad and depressed" Aphrodite chimed in as she sat next to me. "Speaking of which, I think we need to talk" she eyed me.

"Well, we can do that in a bit. I'm trying to cheer Damien up" I smiled at her.

"Don't get your hopes up, it seems that he's destined to be depressed until the coming of Christ or Jack comes back to life" Aphrodite loomed on.

"Hey, don't you talk about Jack like that!" Erin snapped.

"Yeah, who you think you are talking about the nicest little kid anyone's ever met!" Shaunee added.

"As always I say - Whatever Dorkamese Twins!" Aphrodite rolled her eyes and sat up, "When your not too busy entertaining the Nerd Herd, come to my room, we have to talk, pronto"

"Ok, after I eat and see Grandma, I'll come and we'll talk"

"Is she conscious?" Aphrodite asked.

"Yes, Neferet said that she was awake"

"We should all go see her!" Erin said a little too overly excited.

"Twin, you think you were going to see Scarlett Johanssen, not Z's Grandma"

"Well, in Tulsa, and in the House of Night, Z's Grandma is just about as famous as Scarlet Johanssen is." Erin smirked.

"You do have a point Twin" Shaunee said shaking her head.

"I know I do Twin, because I'm oh so smart!" Erin added.

"Definitely the brains of the two of us" Shaunee concluded as they gave each other a high five.

I shook my head and rolled my eyes at both of them. "I know you guys want to see her too, but do you mind if I have some alone time with her first?"

"Sure Z, no prob. We can't go now anyways, we'll go after class, just let her know we're coming to see her" Erin said.

"Yeah, we have some major…stud – studying to do" Shaunee eyed her boyfriend Cole walking by and smiling at her and she winked.

I turned back to Aphrodite, "That means you too. You can see her after I have some time with her alone."

"Um, I don't think so" she told me matter-of-factly.

"Um, excuse me?!" did I not tell anyone that I hate, I mean HATE being told what to do?

"Reason why I need to talk to you and it's not good. I don't think you should be alone right now, so if you're going to see Grandma after you leave here, I'm going with you" she said.

I huffed, "Fine" I rolled my eyes and took a huge gulp of brown pop. I peeked around to Coraline who was playing with her phone and I said Hi to her. She barely even looked up and said Hi back.

"Sorry, the Twins have me obsessed with this Bedazzled game on my phone" she apologized.

"No worries, the Twins seem to get everyone obsessed with something" I shrugged.

"Isn't that true Twin?" Shaunee said winking.

"Actually, I don't know what you're talking about" she smiled.

"So, how are you and Maurelle getting along?" I asked, curious how the two new fledglings were dealing with being here.

"Oh, it's good. We're getting along really well, but I do have to say" she leaned behind Damien and whispered to me, "She's very strange"

I just chuckled and whispered back, "Because she's a Fairy, of course she'll seem strange to you, just as you're probably a bit strange to her"

"I guess" she answered.

"So, Z, do you have plans how you want to run next weeks Parental Visit?" Erik asked and put quotation marks around Parental. Ugh, Crap! I had totally forgotten about it, and totally dreading it too.

I saw Coraline's eyes get wide, "Parents visit?"

"Unfortunately, yes" I mumbled.

"See Core, our sweet Z here, has just as much family problems as you have. So don't worry. I'm sure Zoey will stick up for you like Neferet did when her stupid Step-Loser Dad came here and trying to tell us all that we were all going to hell"

"Sounds like my dad" she mumbled.

"Correction, he is NOT my Dad. You all know my Dad, Armand" I reminded everyone.

"Oh, that hot smoking piece of Vampire…" Shaunee started.

"How could we forget" Erin finished dreamily resting on her hands.

"Your Dad is a Vampire?" Coraline asked.

"Well, yes, it's a long story, but he's a very famous Vampire" I said. "I hope he comes, I'll have to remember to call him" I made the mental note to call Dad when I left Grandma's room.

I noticed that the sudden conversation of parents made Maurelle kind of gloomy. I knew she didn't have any parents to come and visit her, and in a way, that made me very sad as well. I also noticed that among our chit-chat, Stevie Rae wasn't here.

"Anyone have an idea were Stevie Rae is?" I asked.

"She had to go over a lesson plan with Caren about the red fledglings. She told us she might not make it to lunch, but would see us at dinner." Shaunee said.

I noticed that the whole lunch period, Damien had said little to nothing the whole time. I put my arm around his back and hugged him. "I know you miss him, but I can tell you, he misses you just as much" I whispered into his ear.

"How do you know?" he said.

"I saw him with Nyx. He was playing in the fields, swimming in the rivers. He told me to tell you that he hoped to see you soon and that he missed you terribly"

I could see the spark of hope in Damien's eyes and his beautiful eyes began to fill with red blood and drip down his cheeks. I at least got a little smile out of him. I kissed his cheek and smiled back as I got up from my seat. "Ok, I got to get going. I'll see you all at dinner?" I asked.

"Yep, See ya Z" the Twins called.

Damien grabbed my hand and squeeze, "Thank you Z"

I smiled warmly down at him, "Your welcome"

"Bye Z" Coraline said without even lifting her head from her phone and I saw that Erik and Maurelle were being chatty kathy's again and didn't even bother to look my way. I decided to interrupt and remind Maurelle about her classes. Erik still didn't look at me much, it made me sad, but in a way, so relieved that he wasn't following me around like a lost puppy.

I walked back to Aphrodite who was still eating her salad, "Come on"

"I'm not done yet"

"You're done now. I don't wait you for, I'm the High Priestess, you wait for me" I smiled giving her a dose of her own meds. She grumbled something that sounded like, _for fucks sake_ and got up out of her seat and followed me out of the dinning hall.

Now off to Grandma's we go…


	26. Chapter 26

"U-we-tsi a-ge-hu-tsa" Grandma said as we walked in the room. "My Daughters, I am so glad to see you both!"

We bent down and gave her a hug. Grandma called Aphrodite her daughter as well. Even though Aphrodite had a mom and dad, they weren't very nice. Her mom was pretty much Satan and her dad was the Major of Tulsa. Yeah. So anyways, Grandma had kind of adopted Aphrodite, which ironically helped melt that hard and cold heart of her's, thank you Goddess for that.

"Are you better Grandma? I've been so worried!" I said as I took the seat next to her and grabbed her hand and held it firm. "This is the second time you've been hurt because of me"

"Oh, Zoeybird, it is not your fault that I was out walking during all hours of the night" she replied.

"Yeah, but that thing that attacked you…" I started

"Oh, hunny, it was terrifying. I really thought I was in the middle of a horror movie when I saw it." Grandma said.

"Wait, you saw the thing that attacked you?" Aphrodite asked.

"Yes child, I did. It was big and ugly, with lots of hair all over it. It looked like a large wolf, but I wasn't afraid as you know, my people, our people" she pointed to me "wolves are celebrated and treated as members of the spiritual society. We honor them."

"Drekavac" I said. "I saw it too"

"What!" Aphrodite turned to face me, "When?"

"Today, when I had Equestrian studies. Maurelle was out with Lenobia and I stayed behind. It almost attacked me too"

"Maurelle?" Grandma asked.

"Oh, right, I forgot you haven't met her yet. So, get this Grandma" I got all excited as I started to tell Grandma that I had met a Fairy, they were real, no, not all of them were nice, well, actually Maurelle was the only nice one left it seemed, and now Nyx had marked her as her own since Maurelle's family died about a thousand years ago. All in all, Maurelle was a new kind of fledgling, and I swear that my rein as High Priestess is going to be known for outing new kinds of fledglings. First the Red Fledglings, now I have Green ones. Great, it just dawned on me, Christmas colors. Ugh!

"That is quiet a story Zoeybird!" Grandma said trying to take everything in. "Sounds like you had quiet the journey and I am ever so thankful to the young…fairy, for helping you. The Goddess really does find favor in you, my u-we-tsi a-ge-hu-tsa."

I smiled at her and kissed her hand, "Thank you"

"Now, go back to these beasts, I need to know exactly what you saw" Aphrodite said in a very serious tone.

"Why, what is the matter? Why do you look so pale?" I asked looking at her funny.

"I had a vision, which is why I wanted to talk to you so urgently."

For the first time I noticed how red her eyes were, and how I should have noticed before. Aphrodite always looked like hell right after a vision. "Why didn't you just tell me that instead of trying to talk in code in front of everyone?"

"Girls, Girls. No reason to fuss now. Aphrodite, share what you saw" Grandma said as she took Aphrodite's hand. "You can speak openly here"

Aphrodite took a big breath, "Remember how when we were starting that whole thing with Neferet and I had a vision, well, two visions of your death?"

"Uh oh, not one of those" I said.

"Yeah, one of those again. Except this time, it was by the hand of some awful creature, I was terrified to look at it." She said glumly.

"So you were looking from my point of view" I asked, since a few months ago, Aphrodite's visions had changed. They had no longer been just of her overseeing a terrible accident or occurrence, she was looking from the perspective of the person it was happening to, and most of the time, and it was from someone she knew.

"No, it was from your's" she looked at Grandma. "It was like I was looking from the beast's point of view, but I knew I wasn't the beast, I knew it was Grandma"

"My dear lord, are you saying I'm going to turn into one of those beasts?" Grandma asked.

"I don't know" Aphrodite shrugged. "It's my job to see the visions; its Zoey's to interpret them"

"Gee, thanks a lot." I turned back to Grandma, "I don't know enough about what they are to know if they will make people change or not." I turned back to Aphrodite, "Do you really think these things are or were people at one point in time?"

"I haven't a clue, but I know they are going to kill people. They are seriously bad news and since it's already known that Grandma was attacked, and you were almost attacked..." Aphrodite fumbled for a minute, "we just really need to get an idea about what's going on and fix it…fast"

"I totally agree with you" I added. "Grandma, I think Aphrodite and I need to talk with the rest of the group, if anything, I mean, ANYTHING happens, you'll let me know" I took a hold of her hand firmly in mine and squeeze.

"Of course daughter, you will be the first to know" she said as she kissed my hand and we left.

As I closed the door behind us I smacked Aphrodite on the shoulder, "Thanks' a lot, now your going to totally freak Grandma out!"

"Hey, don't smack me, and remember, if it wasn't for my visions, you'd have to find out all on your own. Would you prefer me to just to keep it to myself?"

"No, but blurting it out in front of her while she's getting better doesn't help! Use your head will you!" I yelled at her.

"Keeping that kind of information from her wouldn't help either Miss – Keep-Everything-To-Herself. People need to know if they may be in danger, they just can't expect you to try and fix it on your own!" Aphrodite snapped back and crossed her arms in front of her chest and puffed up almost like a guy does when he's about to start a fight.

I took a big cleansing breath, it was worthless to fight with Aphrodite, one, because she was right, and two, because she was right again. Argh. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have yelled at you"

"Damn straight you shouldn't have" she narrowed her eyes at me.

"Look, I said I was sorry, what else do you want me to say!"

She looked down and away from me, "I guess that's enough then." Then she looked me right in the eye, "Don't snap at me again…ever!"

"I don't think that's very realistic…knowing the both of us, we're going to fight every now and again" I rolled my eyes at her. "Come on, let's find the rest of the group and tell them what's up before anything else goes weary."

Soon we were out of the infirmary and off back to class. It was going to be a long evening considering that everyone was in class when we went to go look for everyone. I was tempted to just go back to my room and ditch everyone until dinner, but my conscience got the best of me and I forced myself off to class.

By the time classes were over I was starved. I ran out of the Spanish class and off to the dining hall. That's when I heard it again. The growling. This would not be good, two in a night. I called for the elements to come to me. "Fire, come to me" I felt the warmness of fire light the area around me, "Light aflame whatever is growling over there" and from the moment I said it, the flight leapt from me and off down the path until it burst into a huge ball no more than 100 yards away. I heard the yelping as the thing ran away. I was glad to have scared it off so easily. "Thank you fire, you may go" I released it.

I was in for a major surprise when I got to the dining hall. First, not only was everyone NOT talking, but the was a scarcity among many students. I walked over to my table and sat next to Aphrodite who had a very concerned look on her face. Then I looked up to see who she was looking at and it was Caren and Neferet talking amongst the balcony to the Professors Lounge. "What's up?" I asked, totally not aware of what was going on, obviously.

"I think you need to go up there Z" Shaunee added.

"Yeah, I agree with Twin. As a High Priestess now, you need to know what's the up and up" Erin said.

"Cuz we need some serious good gossip" Shaunee said.

"No kidding Twin"

"This is NOT gossip you idiots! This is serious" Aphrodite snapped at both of them, which then they promptly shut up and turned back to their salads. Aphrodite looked at me, "You need to go up there"

"Do you know what's going on? Why is everyone so on edge?" I asked.

"A fledgling died today" was all Aphrodite said.

I took her hint and started up the stairs to where I saw Caren and Neferet. "Merry Meet" I greeted them.

"Merry Meet Zoey" Caren said, Neferet just nodded and smiled at me. "We have grim news."

"A fledgling has died today?" I asked, just reiterating what Aphrodite said.

"Yes, but in a most…dreadful way" Caren continued.

"We have a reason to believe that whatever it was that attacked your Grandma, also attacked this young fledgling" Neferet added. "She had the same markings on her back"

I sucked in breaths, no, this couldn't be true. "A Drekavac?" I asked.

Caren nodded her head, as did Neferet. "Lenobia has reported that you were attacked earlier today, how come you did not report it to me earlier?" Caren asked.

"Sorry, I meant to, I just wanted to know more about what it was so I could give you more information. Plus, I was just scared"

"I don't mean to scold you, but we can not help our High Priestesses if they don't let us know if something is wrong. Next time, come straight to us." Caren smiled at me, "I know you are young and still in need of learning, but you will mature and learn what is best. Just listen to Nyx"

"Come Zoey, we need you to come with us to the morgue were we have taken the fledgling." Neferet said as she took my hand.

I wasn't sure I wanted to see what this fledgling looked like. All I knew is who was behind it all, but how were we going to stop her? I needed to speak up, "I know where the beasts come from" I blurted out faster than I had time to process if I should.

Caren turned around and looked at me interestingly. "And just where do these beast belong?"

"The Dark Fairy Queen" I said, unable to control my tongue.

Caren laughed, "Fairy Queen? That's impossible" she rolled her eyes and began to turn away again.

"No, I tell you the truth. I have traveled to the land of the Fae. I have seen her!" I pleaded. That is when she stopped dead in her tracks, hahaha, nice pun right? Dead in her tracks. She turned slowly around and looked at me hard.

"You have traveled to the realm of the Fae?" she arched an eye brow. "And what did you find?"

"A beautiful place that has been ruled by darkness for a thousand years, but that not all are so mean and ugly like we are made to believe. I saw that their Queen, who is one very scary fairy, has been kidnapping vampires and humans for her own"

Caren looked interested in this now as her eyes narrowed and her brows raised in surprise. "Kidnapping vampires? What for? And why Humans?"

"She's collecting us. She wants our powers. She didn't harm me because she knew I could control the elements, she actually started to be nice to me. And she kidnapped humans…well, for food…for the vampires" I said softly.

"Food! She was feeding vampires with humans making us kill them?" she asked.

"Yes, precisely so"

"Then, it seems that maybe this Dark Queen can be behind it if she's able to get here and kidnap people, but how?"

"Well, she did have help, a Fairy named Maurelle"

"Maurelle, our new fledgling?" Caren asked.

"Yes, she has been pretty much a prisoner to the Queen because of her extraordinary powers herself. She was forced to bring the Queen between the realms because that's what she can do, she can walk between them."

"But this fairy, she here now?" Caren questioned.

"Yes, she helped us escape and helped us free all the prisoners, vampires and humans alike. Nyx had marked her with a green Mark"

"I have seen her, it is true Priestess" Neferet said as she touched Caren's shoulder.

"This is very interesting, but how do we know we are not endangering ourselves more? How do we know she's not stepping back and forth on her own?"

"Because she, like us, would like nothing more than to see the Queen over taken and killed. The Queen killed her whole family. I trust her, and I do not think that Nyx would mark her if she was so deceiving."

"I suppose you have a point Zoey. Come, we must be quick." Caren turned back around and headed towards the door. I looked back at my friends that were looking up at me curiously wanting to know what was going on, but I couldn't give them an answer. I just shrugged my shoulders and walked with Caren and Neferet to the morgue. One of the few places I hoped I'd never have to go to again after Stark, but here I was, off to the Morgue I go.


	27. Chapter 27

The Morgue was just like any other Morgue. It was cold, sterile and uninviting. I was the last to enter the cremation room where the young fledglings' body laid on the cold table. Neferet and Caren were at each side of the table as I came up front. I stood, frozen looking into her angelic face. I had seen her once before.

"When did she die?" I asked hurriedly.

"Our guess is 2 days ago. She was found out in the middle of the woods" Neferet answered.

"As if something was chasing her" I added. Neferet and Caren looked up at me; I could feel their eyes studying me. "I've seen her before" I said.

"Are you sure?" Caren asked.

"Yes" was all the answer I gave. I noticed she looked at Neferet then back at me.

"Zoey, this girl was not apart of our House of Night. You would not have met her here at school. Did you meet her elsewhere?" Caren asked.

"No, I saw her in my bathroom" that's when I looked up and stared at them both.

"You saw her in your bathroom?" Neferet looked confused.

"I thought it was just a hallucination, I hadn't slept. I was in my bathroom, washing my face and I saw her" I looked down, "Just as she is now, ripped and torn, dirty and mangled. She asked me to help her."

"Zoey, if you were having visions, why didn't you tell anyone?" Caren asked me and Neferet gave me a look as to why she hadn't been told.

"I'm sorry Priestess; I had too much on my mind. Between my Grandma, and Heath, I didn't give much thought to a dirty half naked girl I saw in the mirror who vanished into thin air. I thought it was just me and my lack of sleep" I apologized.

"You will learn that a High Priestess is extremely intuitive. Fledglings can call aid to us. But why did she only come to you? We should have been able to pick up her distress" Neferet said.

"I think she was warning me" I admitted.

"Warning you about what?" Caren asked.

"About the Drekavac's"

"Drekavac's? As in the creatures that Vlad had told us about? Why Zoey" Neferet giggled, "That was just a fable. There is little truth in it."

"No, I am sure that it is for real. However, I think these things are being created by the Dark Queen of Fae. She's killing these children to get to Maurelle"

"But you only returned yesterday, this child has been dead for over 2 days at best. What is the excuse then?" Caren asked.

I thought about it for a minute, she did have a point. Did the Fairy Queen have a different agenda? "I just don't know, but I do know that it will probably get much worse."

"Then we must protect the students" Neferet said commandingly. "We have to create a barrier on the school. If one has already come through the wall and attacked Silvia Redbird, then tried to attack Zoey, then we have no choice"

"I agree." Caren said, then she turned and looked at me, "Zoey, you will need your Prefect, set up by the East Wall and cast a circle. We will need to set up a protection barrier around the school. Since your circle is the most powerful, we will need you to evoke it."

"Yes Priestess" I bowed to her and placed my fist over my heart. I may be a High Priestess, but I wasn't the High Priestess of all Vamps. Though I had that small reassuring voice in my head tell me: _Good deeds bring great rewards, but not without sacrifice_

I walked out of the Morgue and straight to the dorms. That would most likely be where everyone would be. Damien hardly leaves the Twins side anymore and when he does it's just to go to class or to bed. I was right about them being there. As I walked through the door to the girls dorm they were all sitting there watching TV, and of course, or ever favorite channel, the News.

_This is Chera Kimiko from Fox News; we have a breaking story that developed late this evening as officials have discovered the body of a young girl just outside of the House of Night. Investigators are reporting that the High Priestess Neferet has been cooperating with officials. The girl's name has not yet been released until her family can be notified. No further information has been reported as to what happened to the young girl. Source's say that the body looked as if an animal had ripped her to shreds. We will be back for an update later this morning._

"Oh Shit!" Erin said as she sat up in her chair.

"Another body outside?" Shaunee asked. "I've had enough of dead bodies around here!"

"No kidding" Damien said glumly. When Damien isn't even in the mood to use vocab, you know that something is seriously up. I patted him on the shoulder and gave him a small smile.

"What is it Z?" asked Stevie Rae. "Is that why Neferet and Caren wanted to talk to you?"

"Yes, and she did look like someone ripped her up. I think she might have been turned into a Drekavac, or was attacked by one"

"Dreka – what?" Erin said.

"Vac – who?" Shaunee continued.

"Drekavac, it's a spiritual monster in other words, they look kind of like those werewolves you've seen on TV in just about every horror flick available." Damien said dryly, with no enthusiasm as he normally has.

I took a hardy look at him, "Damien, are you sure your alright?"

The Twins and Stevie Rae all looked over at Damien, "Yeah, are you ok?" Erin asked.

"You haven't gotten on to us like you normally do" Shaunee said bewildered.

"I think he's just been quiet. Are you depressed about Jack?" Stevie Rae asked.

"I'm fine. Really you guys, just, I want to be left alone" he said.

"Oh no!" Erin said slowly.

"Oh, Hell, No" Shaunee repeated.

"You are not going to be hanging out alone" Erin said sternly placing her hands on her hips.

"Oh, please, just please, Queen Damien, look, I'm sorry that your boyfriend died and all, but it happens" Shaunee said.

"It's not like we don't care either, we just know we have to go on" Stevie Rae said as she placed her hand on his shoulder.

"Will you guys get off my back!" Damien yelled. "If anyone knows what I'm going through it's Zoey. You guys don't have one lick of sense in your brains."

"Wow Twin, he didn't even use any big words" Shaunee said as she turned to look at Erin.

"I know Twin, so weird. It's like Damien was possessed by someone who speaks normal English!"

"I know right! Hey, strange kid, why don't you leave and bring back our, oh so annoying Queen Damien who corrects us on our lack of vocabulary usage." Shaunee smiled.

"Yes, Damien, your acting very…" Erin paused, "capricious"

"What?" Shaunee asked looking at Erin like Damien had just possessed her.

"Meaning having a sudden behavior change. It's not like Damien, he's acting capricious. He should be blithe"

"Blithe? Ok, Twin, you're starting to scare me" Shaunee said with wide eyes and starting to step away from Erin.

"Oh, stop being a silly nilly, Blithe means happy or gay…" Erin giggled, "Gay, not like gay like you are Damien, I mean…"

"Yes, Gay means Happy, I am perfectly aware of that" Damien interrupted. "A matter of fact, I am depressed, or you could say I was crummy, dejected, despondent, destroyed, disconsolate, dispirited, glum, grim, lugubrious, melancholy, moody, morose, pessimistic, ripped, sad, spiritless, unhappy, weeping, woebegone. There, I believe that is all the vocabulary you're going to get out of me today. Now, if you'll excuse me, I am going to go brood in my own room" Damien turned to me, "I'm sorry Zoey, I…"

"Damien, it's ok." I gave him a big hug without letting him finish what he was going to say, "I understand and totally get if you want some time to yourself" I looked at him in the eyes, "But don't push us away. We're trying to help and it doesn't make it better to sit and be melancholy all the time"

"Hey, you learned something today I see" Damien started to smile.

"Yes, a whole lot of adjectives that describe depressed, quiet impressed, they were all in alphabetic order too" I smiled.

"I study the dictionary" he admitted and laughed a bit more. "Ok, I guess I can stay a bit more, as long as the Twins don't give me a hard time" he shot Erin and Shaunee a narrow eyed look.

"Promise!" they both said in union.

I walked over and turned the TV off, "I have something I need to talk to you guys about."

Stevie Rae, the Twins and Damien all perked there ears to hear what I was going to say. It was like they sat up straighter and leaned in closer towards me to catch all the words I was going to say.

"Something really bad has happened today…well, actually 2 days ago and I guess you could even include it along with our totally messed up world for the past few months. First and foremost, we have been asked to set a protective barrier around the school grounds. Neferet and Caren have a reason to believe that Drekavac's may be on the loose and I don't want to argue because I almost got attacked today by one. Two, we're going to have to stay together. I have a feeling that the Dark Queen is here, in our Realm and is coming for Maurelle. So, Twins, keep extra watch on Maurelle"

"Easy" Erin said.

"Peasy" Shaunee finished.

"Stevie Rae, I need you to gather any of the remaining red fledglings and get them to help watch guard around the school grounds. Since they are of a different vampire all together, then their increased powers might help us."

"They will be so excited!" Stevie Rae jumped up and down on the couch.

"This isn't a talent contest, I just need them to keep their eyes open for anything suspicious"

"No problem Z, I'll make sure they are all in line" Stevie Rae said nodding her head.

"And what is my role?" Aphrodite interrupted from coming down the hall. "As your consulate I would hope I had a pretty decent role in all this?"

"Actually, yes, I need you and Darius to call upon whatever remaining Sons of Erebus there are left"

"I think I can handle that" she said with a smirk.

"Damien" I called to him and he looked up at me, with sad eyes, "I'm sending you on a special errand. I need you to retrieve Stark. I trust that you'll bring him back safe."

Damien looked confused, "But we don't know where he is"

"Actually, we do" I said. "He is in the Divine Realm, and just so happens, we have someone that can walk between them."

I turned to Aphrodite, "Can you get Maurelle from her room for me, I need to speak with her"

"What am I your errand boy?" she tossed her hair. I just gave her a very nasty look and she flipped her hair and huffed as she walked down the hall towards the girls rooms.

I walked over to Damien and put my hand on his, "I ask this of you because I know what kind of pain you are in. I can guarantee you that you'll come back feeling so much better…" I paused, wanting to know if I should say anything else. No, I will leave it a surprise that Jack was in the Divine Realm with Nyx and that I was doing him a great favor by doing this for him. "Now, once you return with Stark we need to remember to be on watch. Before everyone goes we need to get to the east wall to set up our boarder."

"Got her" Aphrodite chimed in with Maurelle on her heels.

"Yes Zoey?" Maurelle asked. I noticed that Erik was right behind her, with a cocky grin on his face.

"Maurelle, I need to ask you a favor. I wouldn't ask this of you unless I truly needed your help."

"Anything Zoey, do not hesitate."

"I need you to take Damien to the Divine Realm to retrieve Stark; I need you to bring them both back"

"I believe I can do that. Is this urgent or do I have time to freshen up?" she smiled and I caught her looking over at Erik. I pained with jealousy. But why was I so jealous? Erik wasn't my boyfriend anymore, though he said that he would love me always, and I knew deep down that he would always be in my life, I will wanted to be with him. No, Zoey, what are you thinking. You broke up with him because he was possessive and uber jealous. Why would you want that back? Yes, Erik could be sweet and gentlemanlike, but not the gentleman that Heath always was. Heath, now I was starting to miss him. Ugh, Hell, I needed to get my mind off boys, they weren't important at that moment.

"Thank you. Yes, you have time to freshen up. Meet us by the East Wall when you are ready" I instructed her. She bowed at the head to me and then turned to head to her room, but I noticed her taking Erik's hand with her as she left the common area.

"Uh oh Z" Erin started.

"I think our friend Maurelle has got bit by the Erik bug" Shaunee said.

"Oh Z! Are you ok with Maurelle seeing Erik?" Stevie Rae asked.

"I'm fine with it. Why would I not be?" I asked innocently, then I looked to see all my friends giving me the, "you know why you would be" look. Ugh, they were right. "Ok, ok, so yeah, I might have some feelings left for Erik, but he's a single guy and can date whomever he wants."

Shaunee and Erin crossed their arms at the same moment and popped their hips out in the same direction and just hummed "Uh huh" and rolled their eyes.

"Ok Dorkamese Twin's, hello, there are two girls here that have been with Erik, who dumped Erik and found way hot warriors instead, why the hell would Zoey be jealous?" Aphrodite bumped in. "Besides, we all know her heart has secretly been for Stark ever since they met"

"Yeah, and we tried to tell her, but she never listened…" Stevie Rae said.

"Oh shut it bumpkin, you guys would have let her go on with anyone she wanted." Aphrodite rolled her eyes, "Sure, her and Erik were cute, but they weren't right for each other. They are cool as friends, but I can't see anything else coming between them."

"And about Stark?" Stevie Rae chimed in.

"Ugh, do we have to go through my personal life right this minute!" I screamed in frustration, so many more things important than my love life, of lack there of.

"No!" Aphrodite, the Twins and Stevie Rae all said at the same time.

"Out with it" Erin said.

"Yeah, you can tell us Z. You got the hots for Mr. Hot Stark or not?"

"Oh, come on you guys, really." I just looked at them and they returned an equally blank stare waiting for my answer. "Ok, so I care about Stark, but that's all it is right now. Nothing more. We aren't even seeing each other anymore"

"But you wish you were" Shaunee said as she whistled.

"That's right Twin, you remember that night when she called Earth to the dorm to cover up her 'oh! Oh! Oh!' moments" Erin laughed.

The Twins burst out laughing, "Oh if she knew!" Shaunee practically fell over on the floor laughing.

My brows furrowed and was totally confused, I was aware that I had done that with Stark, but did I just do my room or just the dorm. Then moritification hit me, oh goddess, no, not everyone heard that did they? "What are you guys talking about?"

"Oh Z! You know everyone heard you right?" Erin said.

"Yeah, Twin and I were on the opposite side of the dorm and could hear that." Shaunee laughed again.

Well, Hell. I could feel the blood rushing to my face. Did vampire's blush now that they were changed? I certainly felt like I was blushing, hard.

"Forget it. Let's go, we have to get to the east wall" I turned quickly on my heel as the rest of the group erupted into laughter once again. Ugh, immaturity. I walked by myself outside as the rest of the group was running after me, still laughing and holding their stomach's. I had no time for jokes, this was serious. And that's when I heard the growl again.


	28. Chapter 28

The Twins bumped into me as I assume they didn't see me stop, frozen in fear. They continued to giggle until they heard it too. The low rumble of growls, as if there was more than one Drekavac.

"That isn't what I think it is" Erin said, her voice shaky.

"Is it?" Shaunee asked equally scared.

"Shhh" Damien said to them both. "We can't make a lot of noise"

"I don't think it makes a difference" I said looking over my shoulder to my friends who were frozen in fear just as much as I was as we heard the creatures getting closer. "I think now, I wish more than ever that Stark was here"

I thought back to all the things that Stark had done for me, just about killed anyone for me, and his amazing shot. He would be able to extinguish these creatures so easily. What was I thinking? I could do the same thing. I felt the power inside of me begin to grow. "Fire, come to me" I said as my flames engulfed my hands. I heard Shaunee calling fire to her as well. "Send it out to the creatures, burn them up" I said.

"Burn baby burn!" Shaunee shouted as we heard yet another throaty growl.

We both hurled our fire balls towards the courtyard where the noises were coming from until there was a large burst of flames and loud shrieks that could have waken the entire campus. I saw students racing to doors of classrooms and hanging out windows to see what the commotion was. I saw Neferet and Caren running towards us.

"What happened?!" Neferet said a tad out of breath.

"We heard growls and we sent fire to burn it up for us. Problem solved" I said. Caren and Neferet looked at me odd.

"Easy Peasey" Shaunee added.

"Yeah, Twin burnt those evil things up!" Erin said congratulating Shaunee.

"We will have to hurry then. Get to the East Wall, I will call the students out there at once." Neferet said as she turned to go back to the school buildings. It seems she flipped out her cell phone and began making calls to all the professors. Soon enough you heard over the loud speaker. "All Students and Professors are to report to the East Wall, immediately. Repeat, all students and faculty members are to report to the East Wall at once."

I'm just glad we got to the east wall before the swarm of students came. We had the candles set up, Damien remembered my eucalyptus and sage braid for the smudge and the Twins set out an offering table for Nyx. Aphrodite rolled up just about when all the students got there with my eagle feather twirling around her face, smiling at Darius. Ugh, puke. Those two made me sick. She stood there in front of me for a good minute or two just twisting the feather around her until I walked over and snatched it out of her hand.

"Hey! Rude aren't we?" she snapped.

"In a hurry, we are. By all means though, take your time. I know how you LOVE to have us wait on you" I said sassing her. Darius caught what I was saying and kissed Aphrodite lightly on the cheek before telling her she must get to the ritual.

"I'll have you know, he was the reason I was late, not because I wanted to be" Aphrodite rolled her eyes. "He just wanted to go another round and I…"

"Just stop. Please. Stop. I. Don't. Want. To. Hear. Any. More" I said slowly. "TMI!"

"Whatever, let's get this thing started." She flipped her hair and stood next to Nyx's table.

I got the nod from Neferet and Caren and then I took my lead. "Children of Nyx, Sons of Erebus, and Nyx's Council, I have brought you here because we are in grave danger, once again. There are monster's roaming our campus and it is no longer safe to be out wandering. We come tonight, together to place a protective barrier around us, around our school, around our lives." I started out. I walked to Damien, as Air, I always called first.

"You are the first we take in and the last to let go, I call Air to this circle" As always, as I lit the candle a tornado of air lifted mine and Damien's hair off our shoulders.

"You always warm us when it's cold and bring us light when we can't see, I call Fire to this circle". As to be expected the candle flame lit without me even having to touch it. Shaunee giggled and I glared at her to turn it down a bit.

"You refresh us when we are thirsty and wash us clean from all dirt. I call Water to this circle" I could smell the sea at Erin and my feet as I lit her candle.

"You ground us and you are our center, I call Earth to this circle" Stevie Rae and I both took a deep breath of the sweet smelling grass and the song of birds in the air.

As the silver thread bound us, I walked to the center where Aphrodite had a match and spoke, "You fill us up and give meaning to us as individuals, Spirit, we call you to this circle" she lit my candle and I felt spirit and all the elements leap inside me. I felt a rush like I had never felt before.

"My Prefect, I would like you to spread out and let all those who come to the House of Night enter our protective circle without harm" I said as Damien, Erin, Shaunee and Stevie Rae all walked back, expanding the circle, but never breaking it. It seemed the silver lining stretched and stretched as each Vampire and fledgling was now standing in the circle. "For the blood that has been spilt, I spill my own" I grabbed the ceremonial knife that lay on the table and raised my hands high up into the sky before coming down and slicing my palm. I turned it over and let the blood drip into the ground. "May the Goddess bless us and protect us."

I walked around the circle and sliced all my Prefect's hands to which they followed my direction and let themselves bleed onto the ground. Everyone watched in awe as the blood seemed to form a circle around us then back towards the center to me. "In the shadows, evils hide, ready to draw me from love's side, but with your help I shall be strong and banish all that do me wrong. Send them away, send them astray. Never again to pass my way, So mote it be"

Everyone repeated, "So mote it be"

I turned and thanked all the elements in reverse order starting with Earth and released them from the circle. The shiny silver thread that held our circle was still there, weird. It usually went away when I sent the elements back. This time, it stayed and it shined brighter than ever.

I turned to everyone, who was still in awe of the silver thread holding them in the circle, "Merry meet, merry part and merry met again"

"Merry meet, merry party and merry meet again" everyone repeated and then they turned to leave. Fledglings danced and laughed as they headed back to the dinning hall. It was around dinner time now. Classes were over. Most of the students were heading back into their dorms to do homework or just hangout with friends before curfew. Everyone in my group headed back towards the center of the circle, the silver thread still in tact, getting smaller as they walked closer towards me.

"Um Z?" Erin asked wearily

"I can't move out of the circle" Shaunee said embrassed.

"Nor can I" Damien said.

"Me too" said Stevie Rae.

"Umm…" I tried to think of something to say. "Maybe it had something to do with the blood" I shrugged my shoulders. "I don't know you guys. Have you given your elements back?"

"Yeah, but the silver lining is still here, what does that mean?" Stevie Rae asked.

"Zoey, I think you should see this" Aphrodite interrupted. She was pointing to the pool of blood in the center of the circle, it seemed that it surrounded the circle then came back to join a large pool, where now was an image of Nyx.

"Daughters and Sons" her voice radiated. "I can sense your fear. Do not be afraid, for I will send you a great and mighty warrior."

"Stark" I said so quietly that I don't think anyone heard me but Aphrodite who jerked her head towards me and gave me a long look.

"He has devoted himself to his Goddess and to his Priestess and will serve you all. He will fight for you when you are unable, he will die for you when you are in the clutches of death." Nyx went on.

"Who is this warrior?" Damien asked.

"Why, you already know" Nyx replied but said no more which gave Damien a confused look. Then he looked up at me and I saw his face change.

"Oh!" his eyes got wide, "Stark?" he asked questioningly.

"Yes, James has a very valuable gift and he has been here with me and I have kept him safe since he was attacked by the Drekavac." Nyx answered.

My brows furrowed, "Attacked by the Drekavac?" I questioned. "He never said he was attacked by anything"

"Because he did not want to worry you, as you worry enough for everyone." Nyx answered.

I felt a pain in my heart as I felt it was true what she was saying. He was attacked and she brought him to be with her in order to save him because she knew he was important, not just to me, but to our wellbeing. Without his possible help, we could all be doomed. I knew that Stark would have to be the one that killed the Fairy Queen. He is the only one that could get close enough, but not enough to get hurt.

"What do we do Nyx?" I asked.

"You will know what to do in time" she said as she shimmered away and the pool of blood no longer bore her likeness, it was simply just a pool of blood. I looked around to see the thin silver line had gone away too. Nyx had wanted everyone to be there when she appeared, which is why no one could leave the circle.

"Woah…" Erin said as she almost felt forward.

"Hold up Twin, don't fall on your face, you might end up with blood all over you" Shaunee said trying to hold her up.

"Ugh, I feel like all the energy has just been drained out of me" Erin said lethargically

"You and me both Twin" Shaunee said hauling her soul twin up on her shoulder. "Z, we're going to head out. Erin looks beat, even more than normal"

I nodded and understood, "You guys get lots of rest" I instructed.

Stevie Rae said she would go with them, and then she had to check on the red fledglings. I noticed that only a few of them were out at the ceremony even though Neferet had told everyone to come. Stubborn and hard headed were those red fledglings. I was just glad that Stark and Stevie Rae were no longer that anymore, too much hatred inside that could escape, too much darkness clouded their judgment. Though, Stevie Rae had been working with them all and trying to get them to 'mainstream' as she called it.

Damien was the only other to hang behind. Aphrodite left with Darius and gave me a wink when she left. Oh Puke, I'm going to be sick next time I see them sucking face like that. Ugh. Then that though lead me to think of Erik, then Stark and Heath, how I used to suck face with all three of them and it made a pain in my chest that I had long forgotten. No, no boys. I wouldn't go there. I am swearing off boys, I can be friends with boys, but nothing else. Time for Zoey to get what Zoey wants without distractions.

"So, what do I do now?" Damien asked.

"Now, we need you to get together with Maurelle and go get Stark." I instructed.

"I'm right here" Maurelle said walking out of the shade and I noticed Erik was walking out of the shadows behind her. A big grin on his face. Oh great. Well, he wasn't my boyfriend anymore, so good for him. He was Maurelle's problem now, not mine.

"Where were you guys? I didn't see you at the ceremony" I asked her.

"Oh, we were hiding out…." She said shyly, I could see her cheeks begin to blush.

"We had a bit of a private moment" Erik interrupted, then turning to Maurelle and smiled before he took her hand, kissed it and told her good bye. He courtly said, "Bye Zoey" in a tone that I had long forgotten. Geesh, he was mad at me again. What did I do this time? Other than refuse to get back together with him. Could he really be that angry at me?

"Mission is clear, go to the Divine Realm and bring Stark back. Got it?" I looked at them both.

"Got it" they both said as Maurelle grasped Damien's hand and they side stepped out of this realm.

All that was left was Erik and I, looking into the darkness where once stood Damien and Maurelle.


	29. Chapter 29

Erik started to walk away the moment that Maurelle left. I ran to catch up with him, "Hey!" I yelled after him. "Wait up"

"What's the point Zoey?" He turned around, an angry look on his face.

"What's wrong?" I took a step back and creased my forehead. I wasn't aware I had done anything to Erik to warrant such a reaction.

"What's wrong? Really, you don't know?" he asked shaking his head.

"I have no idea what you're talking about" I said rolling my eyes at him. "Can we talk?"

"I think we've done enough talking." He turned away from me.

"I can't stop talking to you Erik, I'm the High Priestess now, and you're the Drama Professor. We have to be able to talk" I said.

"Then we can talk professionally. Personally, I don't think it's a good idea anymore" he bit the inside of his lip.

"What do you mean? You don't want to be my friend anymore?" I felt hurt, like he stabbed me in the heart. He said he would have been with me no matter what, and now he's turning back on what he said. I didn't want to lose him, at least not as a friend. I still wanted Erik in my life, even if my life was a mess at the moment.

"I think it's better if we weren't" he said solemnly.

"Why would it be better? I don't think it would be. I would think it would be awkward" I concluded trying to plead to him with my eyes that were starting to feel moist.

"Don't do that" he said.

"Do what" I sniffed.

"That!" he yelled, "Crying! Stop it!" he turned away, "I hate to see you cry, especially when I'm the one making you cry" he said softly, if I wasn't paying attention, I would have never heard him.

I walked over and put my hand on his shoulder and he shrugged me off, "No, we can't be friends Z. Not any more. I can't just be your friend"

"Why? What did I do?" I asked as the first tear of crimson came down my cheeks. Geesh, I've been crying an awful lot lately. I was never like this at home.

"I just can't sit back and watch you be with someone else. I care about you too much" he turned and touched my face. "I've always cared about you Z. No matter how jealous I got, possessive or demanding, I only ever wanted you and I wanted you to want me."

I saw how sad his eyes got right then. As if remembering everything we went through in just a matter of seconds. He searched my eyes before he spoke again, "I love you too much to see you be with someone else. I have to separate myself from you. You're harmful to my soul and to my heart."

I felt like choking, I was harmful to him! Of all the nerve, he said I was harmful to him. I felt my tears swell up in my eyes as I felt the rage in my soul beginning to burn. "I'm harmful to YOU!" I yelled at him. "How about when you raped my best friend! Or all the times you were pressuring ME about having sex with you. Do you think that maybe you might have been harmful to ME!?" I screamed. I noticed that Erik was slowly backing away from me and had almost a frightened look on his face and his hands out as if surrendering.

"Zoey, I'm sorry, sorry, sorry" he squealed as his hands reached up to his face and he looked away, as if looking at something horrifying.

I looked down to see that I was floating in the air, my hair was flying up all around me and that my body was lit aflame all over. I looked like a giant fireball floating in the sky. I took a deep calming breath, closed my eyes and asked the elements to release and set my down. I was glad that I was extinguished and on the ground again so I could look at Erik with calmer eyes. "I'm sorry, maybe I was rash with you. Can we start over?" I asked.

"Look, I get that you're interested in Maurelle. She's beautiful. I don't blame you for wanting to move on, but don't treat me like I'm a pest that you can't stand. We have a history together Erik, good and bad. Just like I have with Heath, and you don't see me disowning him."

Erik gave me a look with his eyebrow raised. "Ok, so maybe I did disown him, but it was for his own good, and you know he NEVER listens, so what does it matter. I'm not mean to him because we had a shady past. He's always been my friend, and he always will be, until the day he dies" I continued.

Erik just stood there and shook his head, "I get what you're saying."

"No, I don't think you do, I'm willing to let you go to be with someone who will appreciate you for you. Who won't do all the terrible things…." I paused and took a big gulp, "that I've done to you. I'm sorry, for everything"

"Apology accepted" he half smiled but continued to look at the ground.

"Friends?" I held my hand out.

"We can try, but I can't promise anything" he said as he took my wrist in his hand, the typical Vampire handshake, wrist to wrist.

"Good, at least that's a step up from where we were just a second ago." I said.

"So" Erik said trying to start again, "How long do you think they will be gone?" he asked.

"I don't know, but if I know Damien, he's going to want to stay to be with Jack" I smiled.

"Jack?" Erik asked.

"Yes, he's with Nyx in the Divine Realm. Don't you think that maybe that's the reason I sent Damien after Stark and not myself?" I asked him.

Erik chuckled, "Well, I guess Damien has a lot of stuff to thank you for when he gets back"

"IF he gets back" I laughed, "let's hope he does"

"Come on, let's get something to eat" Erik nodded towards the dinning hall.

"Actually, I need to go back to my apartment to look up some more stuff about these creatures. I have some blood in my fridge. Your welcome to come and join me" I asked him, hoping that maybe he would take me up on the offer.

He just looked kind of unsure and then it was as if his mind had cleared, "What the hell, two heads are better than one anyways"

"Exactly" I said as we walked the opposite direction from the dining hall to the Professor's Apartments, which were above the infirmary. I would stop to see Grandma on my way in.

I visited with Grandma for a few minutes, she was up and stretching like she normally did when she woke. She said she was doing much better and that all her pain had left. I was astounded by her recovery and even asked her to join Erik and I upstairs in my apartment. She hadn't even seen it yet. She just smiled at me and said she would later, it seemed as though I had a lot on my mind she told me. She was right, I did.

When Erik and I made it up stairs to my apartment, he was wide eyed in amazement. "Wow!" he said. "This is your place?"

"Yep, I have the whole floor…it used to belong to…" and that's when I stopped.

"I know who it belonged too" Erik said as if something dark had overcome him. "But they did a good job covering it all up" he smiled. "I love the smell of lavender, it's so relaxing"

"I know, it just makes you want to take a nap right?" I said as I placed my keys in the glass dish next to the door. "Would you like something to drink? Eat?" I asked walking into the kitchen on the left.

"Sure" Erik said as he looked around the room. "These paintings are neat. They move"

"Yeah, I know." I grabbed two packets of blood and a fruit bowl and carried them into the living room where I had the stacks of books that Anastasia had brought over.

Erik sat down on the white sofa and picked up one of the old, dusty books laying on the floor, "Rituals and Spells for the Experienced" his eyebrow arched. "Are you sure you could call yourself….experienced?"

"Very funny" I bit into my blood bag, not even bothering to use the straw. Erik laughed at my primitiveness and neatly poked a hole in the pouch and slid in the straw which he began to suck. "Actually, Anastasia brought it over and was showing Aphrodite and I a few spells. Since we weren't sure what we might be up against, she showed us some pretty powerful spells."

"So you know what it is hurting fledglings and attacked your Grandma?" Erik asked.

"And me." I added.

Erik sat up on the couch and furrowed his browns, "You were attacked?"

"Well, almost, Maurelle helped me. You know, she's an exceptional rider. You should come watch her at the stables one day"

"I'll make a note of that. Now, tell me more of these creatures" he continued our discussion.

"Well, they're called Drekavac's. Vlad, or, Dracula, told me after my initiation that Drekavac's were Death Eaters. He said they were nasty and vile creatures. Unbaptised children that had died whose souls are angry. Or something like that" I carried on. "Either way, he made it sound ubber freaky!"

"Death Eater's huh?" Erik said. "What does that mean?"

"They thrive on death and blood, even more than we do. We can survive without having to harm someone or something. They, not so much. Think of the Red Fledglings before they found humanity, and quadruple it."

"Eww, really? That bad huh?" he asked.

"That bad" I shook my head. "I just don't know how to defeat them. I know, or at least, I think I know where they are coming from. If we stop the source, we may be able to stop them all"

"And what is the source?" Erik asked.

"The Dark Queen" I answered as I flipped open on of the books of myths right to the page of Fairies. "You know" I sat looking at the picture, "That people thought Fairies were evil by nature"

"Maurelle's a fairy" Erik said. "I don't think she's evil"

"That's just the thing, she's not." I looked up to see his blue eyes, which reminded me so much of all the times we spent together, looking deep into his eyes. I could get lost in them again. I shook my head out of it. "There are no recordings of what Fairies were like before the Dark Queen, so no one would have known"

"Except Maurelle" Erik concluded.

"Except Maurelle" I sighed. "She seems to be the only one with any clue as to what life was like in Fairy before the Dark Queen."

"I have an idea…" Erik said talking to himself. "Like most, excuse my pun, Fairy Tales, children are told, we just have to get rid of the Queen and all should return back to happy faces and pretty flowers." He smiled.

I laughed, a good hard laugh. Happy Faces and Pretty Flowers. Was that all he thought about. "I agree with getting rid of the Dark Queen, but we don't know if that will get rid of the Drekavac's. I think we just have to be on our guard at all times"

"Or have Stark take care of it for you"

"Stark?" I suddenly felt alert. "I forgot! We should head back to the East Wall, they should be back soon" I stood up and closed the book I had sitting on my lap. Erik stood up as I walked towards the door and he grabbed my hand, turning me around.

"Z?"

"Yeah" I looked up at him.

"I'm sorry" he said.

"For what?" my brows furrowed and my forehead creased, unknown to what he was going to say next.

"Being an ass. I'm sorry." He squeezed my hand.

I pulled myself away from him and smiled, "it's ok, don't worry so much about it" That's when I turned and headed towards the door again, Erik was not far behind.

We weren't more than a few steps from the door when it swung open and Stark boomed into the apartment. He saw me and his big cocky smile grew wider as he ran right for me and picked me up, swooping me in his arms and around the room hugging my tightly. "Oh Zoey! I've missed you!"

I hugged him back, "I've miss you too, but you haven't been gone all that long" I said, but then noticed when he put me down how he had grown. It was just as Erebus said; it's as if time stood still while he was gone. James grew, had to have been a good three to five inches, so he was easily as tall as Darius, if not taller. His dark hair now hung in waves down to his shoulders. He reminded me of Prince Caspian. His chocolate eyes were piercing, not to mention the ripples of muscles that flowed from his shoulders and arms. I couldn't help but to place my hand on his stomach, as I guessed, rock hard. I smiled at him again, "You've changed"

"Have I?" he said looking down at himself, "I guess I have"

I even noticed that his voice was different. Deeper, more mature. The scruff on his face from just shaving, he didn't look like a boy anymore, he looked like a man. His beautiful markings that framed his face, I couldn't take my eyes off him. Zoey, Stop! I told himself. No boys, none. Not even Stark, no matter how hot he was right now, and boy was he hot, no, no, no. No boys! Keep focused.

I cleared my throat, "We need your help" I said.

He bowed and placed his fist over his heart, "I am at your service my lady" He distinctively looked up at me and winked. Ugh, what was I going to do with him.

Damien and Maurelle came next through the door. Maurelle almost out of breath, "My goodness, he's quick!" she breathed to Damien.

"I know, I had to call air to me just to allow my lungs to breath a bit more" Damien laughed.

"Hey, just because you all are slow doesn't mean I can't rush to see the most beautiful woman I've ever see" Stark turned and winked at me again. I just rolled my eyes.

"Erik!" Maurelle screeched and threw herself in to his arms. I couldn't help but to smile, they did look cute together. She was sweet and loving and only had room for one man in her life, Erik. And that's exactly what Erik wanted, to be wanted. And there he got it. He kissed her softly and stroked her hair as they smiled at each other.

Damien walked up to me next and gave me a huge hug. "I can't thank you enough Z for what you did for me"

"What are you talking about Damien" I said, knowing full well what he was talking about.

"Jack. You sent me because you knew he was there. Thank you" Damien smiled. It was the first time I actually saw light in his face in a while since Jack had died. I was glad I could do this for him. He deserved it, as loyal as he was. I actually saw little crimson tears begin to form in his eyes. I just smiled at him and wiped them away with my thumb.

"No need for tears, I'm sure Jack was ecstatic to see you and I'm glad that I convinced you to go."

"I can't thank you enough Z" Damien said one last time as he hugged me again.

"Ok!" Stark interrupted. "I didn't think you played for her team D"

"Oh, I don't, but I'm still allowed to show affection is that not correct?" Damien asked arching his eyebrow at Stark.

"Just as long as we're clear on that" Stark winked.

I sighed and rolled my eyes at them both. "Ok, well, now that your back, we need to get busy."

That's when Neferet burst in through the door, "Zoey! Did you forget about the parents night!"

"Parent's night? It's next week?" I asked confused.

"No, it's tonight!" Neferet said as she took my hand.

Oh hell!


	30. Chapter 30

I stood outside of the dining hall doors peering inside to the crowded room. All my friends had gone inside. Erik and Stark went in together to great their parents, who actually haven't seen Stark in quiet a long time since he ran away. I could see them greeting and hugging. I saw Erik introduce Maurelle to his parents and they were beaming with light as they accepted her as their own. I felt my heart flutter with happiness for her. I looked to the left to see the Twins with their parents, as always talking together in a group. The Twins were inseparable. Damien was sitting with his parents by the fountain, nodding, but not really in tuned to the conversation they were having. My guess is that he was thinking of Jack. Stevie Rae was off with her mom, she looked like she was looking for someone until she spotted me peaking in the window and headed right my way. Oh no.

"Zoey!" Stevie Rae called as she burst out of the doors with her mom in tow behind her.

"Hey Stevie Rae" I turned and saw her mom, "Hi Ms. Johnson"

"Oh honey, call me Momma J" she flapped her hand out in front of her as if to dismiss what I said.

"Ok, Momma J" I smiled at her okie twang that sounded so close to Stevie Rae's.

"Momma said that she made us cookies again!" Stevie Rae said excitedly.

"I did, but I left them in the car" Momma J said. "Silly me, always forgetting"

"No worries, I'll go with you to get them" Stevie Rae beamed at her.

"You guys go ahead, I'll meet you back here" I said shaking my head.

"Well, I just wanted to give you a big ol' hug and congratulate you on being made the High Priestess. Stevie Rae has told me so much and I'm so happy for you" she gave me a hug and kissed my cheek. "If it wasn't for you Zoey, I would have lost my baby months ago"

Momma J looked like she was about to start bawling, but not before Stevie Rae patted her on the back and reminded her that they still needed to get the cookies, then it was celebration time. Stevie Rae's mom seemed to agree and smiled at me once more before turning around with her daughter and headed towards the parking lot.

The one person I didn't see in the group was Aphrodite, I wonder if her parents were even here. It made me wonder if maybe they were hiding out scolding her again. I made it my mission to find them. I really hated the LaFont's, even as much as I hated my step loser of a dad.

"Zoey?" I heard the familiar call of my name. I felt a shiver up my spine as I froze midwalk.

"Zoey, darling!" my mom called. I made a face that she couldn't see then turned around to where I heard the voice come from, directly behind me.

"Hi, Mom" was all I said. It may have sounded a bit snippy, but I wasn't expecting her here. "Are you by yourself or did John come with you?" I asked, even though I knew the answer, my mom never went anywhere without him.

"I'm here on my own, thank you. I am allowed to go out by myself" she scolded, and then she smiled, the same mom smile that I had missed for years since she married that awful man. I felt my spirit leap as there were remnants of my old mother in there. She reached out and gave me a hug, the most contact we have had in a long time. I could hear her breathing in and sighing as she released her hold on me. "Come, let's walk" she took my hand.

I was very suspicious of my mom's behavior; this wasn't like her, at least not recently. As much as I wanted to believe that my mom was acting this way because she really did love me, this was not the same kind of mom I've had for the past few years. Something was up, she was hiding something.

"Let me go!" I heard a scream that sounded awfully familiar, familiar as in Aphrodite's spiteful yells. It was off to the right into the courtyard. My mom and I both turned our heads as we walked.

I stopped mid-stride and turned to face my mother, "I'll be right back, don't go anywhere"

"I'm not a child Zoey, I'll go with you" she insisted. I just rolled my eyes, fine, if she wanted to come along, and then come. "Who is that yelling?" she asked.

"I think it's my consulate, Aphrodite" I answered, listening to for her, in more ways than one. Since Aphrodite was my consulate, we were bonded, so I could hear here in my head and vise versa. I had actually heard her rage in my head long before my ears heard her screams. I walked a bit faster, leaving my mom behind me as she yelled for me to slow down, which I didn't.

I turned around one of the class buildings to see Aphrodite and her parents. Her dad had her by the arm in a tight grip while her mother smacked her hard against her face. I felt the overwhelming feeling of anger. I flung my hands out "Wind, blow them away" I called. Wind rushed past me flinging my hair in front of me in swirls and blew Aphrodite's parents off of her and sent them stumbling backwards. It also knocked Aphrodite down as well, but she looked back at me and I could hear her tell me quietly, "Thank you".

"Who the hell are you?" Mrs. LaFont screamed as she collected herself.

I arched my eyebrow at her, "I am the High Priestess, Zoey Redbird."

"So you are the filthy slut that took that opportunity away from my daughter?" Mayor LaFont said, sneering. I looked at Aphrodite to see that her head was hanging and she was ashamed of her parents and the way they were acting. They wanted her to be High Priestess so they could have control over the school. They were power hunger, money hungry, awful people. My Step Loser Dad was better than these people were. They made me sick. I pitied Aphrodite. I thought I had it rough, but really, she must have it worse, they were abusive, at least Step Loser never hit me.

"Excuse me?" I heard the high shrill voice of my mother coming behind me. "Are you calling my daughter a slut?"

I looked to the side, "Mom, I have this"

"No, Zoey. Let me take care of him" she said with a look of disgust on her face. "Who do you think you are insulting my child like that? Zoey may have done some things in her past, but she has long made up for them. She doesn't need you to scold her"

"Mom" I said in a low and husky voice. "Move Mom"

My mom looked at me and she saw the red glow in my eyes. She gasped as she moved out of the way, her hand clasped to her mouth.

"I advise you to leave this premises right now, otherwise, I will have to seek other means to removing you. If you can't keep your hands to yourself, then you will no longer be allowed back at the House of Night" I warned them. They seemed to laugh my warning off. Aphrodite's father turned back to her and laughed.

"You're pathetic! You're not a LaFont, never have, and never will" her mother walked up to her and spit right on her face. I ran to Aphrodite and put my arms around her.

"Spirit, come to me" I called and I felt the leap inside. "Go to Aphrodite, she needs you now" and I felt it leave as Aphrodite gasped from the leap she received. She started to cry as her parents walked away.

"Wind, make sure they leave here…quickly" I added and flicked my hand out towards where they were walking. The wind pushed them from behind and carried them out to the lot where it dumped them on their butts in front of their car. "Thank you Wind, you may depart"

Aphrodite looked up at me, and though she didn't have to say it, I knew she was thankful. The crimson tears flowed down her eyes. "Are you ok?" I asked softly. She just nodded her head as I helped her to her feet. The place where her mother smacked her was red and starting to puff.

I turned around to see my mom still frozen where she stood looking at me. "Come on Mom, we're going to my apartment" I took Aphrodite by the hand and lead the way, my mom slowly trailing behind us.

When we got to the apartment I put Aphrodite down on the couch and I went straight to the fridge for two things. 1. Ice, I'm sure she'd need it and 2. Blood, which was a staple and I knew she needed it. I should probably have Neferet take a look at it, just in case, but Aphrodite was a big girl and she could take care of herself.

"Zoeybird?" I heard the low husky voice of my Grandma coming down the hall. She stopped when she saw my mom, who was wondering aimlessly through my apartment like a kid in a candy store. "Linda?" her voice changed.

I saw my mom's expression, it was shock, she didn't expect Grandma to be here, and especially in not the best shape she's ever been.

"Grandma!" I ran to her and hugged her tightly. She complained and I apologized for hugging too tightly. "Are you feeling better?"

"Yes daughter, much better. What is the pleasure we have that you came tonight Linda?"

"I came to see Zoey. It is parent's night" she said very sure of herself, while she straightened her hair and any wrinkles in her skirt.

"And where is your husband?" Grandma asked with narrow eyes.

"At home"

"You can't expect me to believe that do you?" Grandma said looking at my mom like she was just a little teenager that was trying to get away with cheating or sneaking out.

"You can't trust your own daughter?" mom asked.

"Oh, I trust my daughter" as Grandma grabbed me and pulled me close to her. "I am very trusting of my daughter. However, you, I don't know you anymore Linda. You have changed so dramatically that you are no longer the daughter that I used to have"

Mom gasped at what Grandma said. "I'm sorry that's how you feel Mom." She turned to me, "Zoey, I'm just glad to see you and see that you're ok and obviously doing well." She half smiled. "I'll leave you two now"

She turned to leave out of the door when I yelled for her to stop. I heard Aphrodite huff on the couch with the ice bag on her face. I rolled my eyes and caught my mom by the arm. "Stay" I asked.

She shook her head, "No, I'm not wanted here, I'll just leave" Typical, turning into the victim.

"I want you here" I said matter of factly. I did want my mom here, I wanted her to be my mom, and the old mom I knew before John Heffer came into the picture. "Please, for me"

She must have seen the moisture buildup in my eyes because she rolled her eyes and sighed, "Fine, I'll stay"

"Don't make us twist your arm Linda" Grandma sneered then laughed as she went to sit by Aphrodite. My mom just narrowed her eyes and went to sit opposite of Grandma in the unique purple chairs.

"Now, let's all play nice, ok?" I asked as I went into the kitchen, "Mom, Grandma, would you both like something to eat, drink?"

"Thank you Zoeybird, some juice would be fine" Grandma answered.

"No thank you" my Mom said still glaring at Grandma with anger in her eyes.

I returned and gave Grandma her juice, I had my blood packet and gave another to Aphrodite who was sitting next to Grandma.

"Oh Zoey, really? Do you have to drink that in front of me?" My mom asked completely disgusted.

"This is what she is Linda, if you can't accept her for that, then leave" Grandma sneered.

"It's….gross" Mom shivered as a chill ran down her spine.

"It's a necessity Mom. I have to drink it in order to keep my strength. It's like all the vitamins that I need." I explained. "There isn't anything gross about it. This came from a blood bank that donates it to us, no one was harmed, and we don't go around biting people"

"Well, thank god for that!" Mom hissed.

"So, Mom, what was it that brought you here anyways? I didn't think you were coming back after the last time we saw each other" I asked. I knew what happened last time. That's when we were hiding from the Raven Mockers and Mom and John came to hide out with us and that's when my mom saw my Dad again. She was so angry that she stormed out of the shelter refusing to have anything to do with me since.

"I came to see my little girl. Is that a crime?"

"There is always another motive Mom, I know better to think that there isn't" I rolled my eyes at her.

"You think me that deceptive?" her eyes went wide and pleading.

"I'm not sure. I would hope you weren't, but every time I think your trying to do something nice for me, _he _shows up and you end up walking away. What gives this time?" I cut to the chase.

"I just wanted to see you. It's been a long time and you haven't called home in a while" she answered.

Aphrodite snorted; she knew exactly why I never called. _"You know Zoey, I almost think you have it worse than me, at least my parents were always jerks."_ She said mentally.

"_You have no idea"_ I sent back to her as I rolled my eyes.

Mom and Grandma watched our exchange of communication without saying a word. Grandma, I assumed knew what was going on, Mom just looked confused.

"Do you think that maybe the reason I stopped calling, stopped writing was because every time I did you told me how much of a sinner and disappointment I am to you? Why would I keep calling?"

"Oh honey, I'm sorry, but you know this life, God damns it. It is a sinful life. Killing people, drinking blood, magic. It's all sin, and I hate to tell you daughter, you'll go to hell for it" she clasped her hands tightly in her lap as she looked me straight on in the face to tell me that.

I just laughed, as did Grandma and Aphrodite. "First, we don't kill anyone that isn't trying to kill us. We drink blood from a BAG, not people, and magic isn't evil. Many believe that what Jesus did was Magic to make Lazarus rise from the dead, walk on water. It's all magic"

"It was a miracle!" Mom yelled.

"Miracle is just another word for MAGIC! And at least my Goddess doesn't judge and fill my life with hate. She loves me and she loves everyone. That's more than I can say for your God that puts women down, that brings fear into people's eyes, that scares people into believing in his ways. That is evil, not my Goddess" I felt strong as I said the words. I felt like a High Priestess, as these were similar words that Neferet used on John when he condemned everyone in the hall the last Parents Night.

"I pity you Zoey" my mom hung her head. "That you'll never see great happiness"

"Pity me?!" I laughed. "Don't pity me. I am happy. I'm ecstatic! I've been given a great honor not only by my people, but my Goddess. She had enriched my life with great gifts, wonderful friends, and generous mentors. I am blessed everywhere I go. I pity YOU mom that you can't see how much love that is in my life, how much greatness. I pity the woman you've become and the woman you turned your back on. You were a great and loving mother. Ever since _he _walked into your life, you've given your all to make him happy, even sacrificing your own family. I pity your sad life that you'll have"

That hit a nerve. I had a lot to say and I just blurt it out. She stood there shocked until finally raising her eyebrow, "If that's how you feel then" she rose, her head up and walked out of my door. I didn't say goodbye. As much as I wanted my mother, I knew she would never return. I didn't feel sad, I was mad. I was mad that she refused to see the person she was becoming, what John was making her become.

It was that instance that she left that the first scream was heard.


	31. Chapter 31

I turned my head immediate to the window that was open, the curtains billowing in the wind. I ran to the balcony, Aphrodite stood and froze in her place as Grandma looked anxious as to what was going on. I looked down at the dining hall to see people running out of the building, screaming. Students were hunched over on the gross, throwing up, crying, screaming and writhing in pain.

"Oh no!" I gasped as my hand went to my mouth. "Aphrodite!"

Aphrodite came to stand at my side as she grabbed my hand, "The vision was right. But how? I thought we took all the precautions"

I shook my head, not sure what to say, what to do. I then realized, my head perked up and my anger consumed me. "The vision was right, and we were right. John was here, only not with my mom. She was here to distract us. He poisoned the blood while we were out of the dining hall."

"Are you sure Zoeybird?" Grandma looked concerned.

"Almost positive. We need to get down there to help them!" I turned to leave but Aphrodite grabbed my wrist.

"Wait" she said.

"Why! They are dying down there!" I yelled at her.

"I know that, but we can't stop it. Once they've had the poisoned blood, they start to reject the change. Those who have changed will be very weak, but not dying"

"Those who have changed?" I asked. It sounded like she knew more than she was telling me. I peered into her mind to see she had up a mental block. "What's going on? What are you protecting Aphrodite?"

"It's Stark…." She looked down. "I don't see him dying though! He just needs fresh blood"

"Find him and bring him here!" I instructed as I was released out of her grip. "Grandma, it is safer if you left. I fear being at the House of Night might put you in danger."

"As you wish Zoeybird. I am only a phone call away" she grabbed me and hugged me tightly. "May the Goddess be with you" she kissed me on my forehead and walked past me and down the hall to the room with her things. I hoped she would be ok to drive home. She just had extensive injuries, I really shouldn't have made her leave, but I love my Grandma and if she was going to get hurt here, by damn I was going to send her away for her own safety.

I took Aphrodite by the hand and ran with her out of the apartment, not even bothering to close the door. By the time we got to the stairs Darius was coming up, "Priestess" he bowed.

"We know, we need to get some help." I instructed.

"I have Warrior Stark here. He needs tending. May we lay him in your apartment?"

"Yes, put him on the bed and give him some fresh blood from the fridge. We're going to check on everyone else. Has Neferet been notified?"

"Yes, but unfortunately, she is one of the ill" Darius answered.

"No!" I answered. What were we going to do without Neferet?

"Priestess, you will need fresh blood, call upon the Sons of Erebus, they will offer themselves to the ones that can be helped"

I nodded and headed down the stairs to see Aphrodite quietly speaking to Darius. I sent her a mental SOS and told her to get her butt down here. She kissed him swiftly and passionately. As I was exiting, I saw one Son of Erebus holding Stark in his arms. My heart crumbled. "No" I could feel the tears filling up. I ran to him and flung myself over his now chiseled body. He was so much larger than he was when he first left to be with Erebus. He was massive and largely muscular. Sons of Erebus's were nothing if not strong, and to carry Stark, took strength. I brushed the hair out of his face and lightly placed a kiss on his cheek, then taking his hand and kissing his palm, "It will be ok"

"Z-Zoey?" he murmured and lifted his hand slowly to touch my face.

I grabbed his hand and pressed it against my cheek. How did I never notice how perfect his hand fit against my face, how perfect he was for me. I was so diluted in what I wanted, who I didn't want to lose, that I was letting him slip right past me. I couldn't deny how much I felt for him. I loved him. I closed my eyes and took in his coolness and nearness. I kissed his fingers and put his hand back down. "I'll be right back"

I looked up at the Son of Erebus holding Stark, "I'm making you personally responsible. If anything happens to him, you will reap the consequences!" I looked angry. I wasn't angry at that solider, but I would be if something happened to Stark.

"Yes Priestess, we will take care of him" the solider nodded and headed past me and up the stairs where Darius was waiting.

"We don't have much time" Aphrodite said as she grabbed my hand and we ran towards the dining hall.

It was like the apocalypse. Everyone was coiled on the ground, blood was everywhere. It was like a slaughter. A Rob Zombie horror flick. I could head a slight laugh in the background, a laugh that was all too familiar. My Step Loser. I could feel the fury in my bones; I could feel myself changing as the elements consumed me. That's when I saw him. He was killing students. He was driving wooden stakes, so cliché, through their hearts. Yes, that will kill us. That would kill ANYONE!

That's when I saw Coraline. She was crying, huddled in the corner. She had her arms around another student who had drank the poisoned blood, the girl was lifeless in her arms. Coraline rocked back and forth. My Step loser dad was right behind her, she didn't even see him coming as he raised the stake over his head, until she turned around to face him. That's when he stopped, his face changed. Instead of glee and joy of killing off the vampires, his face turned to that of shock and terror. "Cory?" he asked.

"Papa, please" she begged. I felt my jaw drop. Coraline was John's daughter? I wasn't aware that John had any family. "Please, please don't. Please stop" I could see the tears in her eyes.

"I didn't want to have to do this, but you've forced me. You are a devil and you shall be punished. I'm sorry Cory." He said as he raised the stake over his head.

"Wind come to me! Push him away" I flung my arm out at him and the wing gust blew him about 20 feet back. He was startled as he turned to me, his eyes wide. I'm sure I knew what I looked like when he saw me. I looked like the devil. I was something terrifying. My eyes a scarlet red, hair waving all over the place, my body radiated fire while I floated up into the air, only a mere few inches from the floor.

"You!" he pointed his finger my way. "You are the whole reason for this all!" he accused. "If you hadn't brought that devil back with you, you might have been spared, as would she" he pointed to Coraline.

"It's so nice to know that I have a step-sister, John. Makes me wonder if my mom know's about your other family" I mouthed back at him. Just then, I saw her, my mom, mouth hanging open as she opened the side door to the dining hall.

"John?" she asked accusingly. "Is this true?" her eyes watering.

He hung his head, "Yes, this child here is my daughter."

"What else haven't you told me?" My mother confronted him.

"That he's still married to my mom. That he has 2 smaller children and an older son" Coraline spoke up as she stood and came to my side. "How he tried to kill me and get the fellowship to kill me when he realized I had been marked."

"How?" my mom shaking her head, "I don't understand, how can you have a whole other family? You never let me go anywhere alone without you"

"You don't leave the house much do you?" Coraline said. "He doesn't let my mother either"

My mom turned to me, "I'm so sorry baby." Tears in her eyes, "I'm so sorry I never listened"

I ignored her for now as I still was a raging ball of fury. I narrowed my eyes at John, "You have proven over and over that you are a harm to us. You deliberately betrayed my mother, betrayed me, you've hurt both myself and Coraline, who is my pupil, I am her mentor. You will not harm us again, ever. Leave here and never come back. For if you do, there will be consequences and I won't be light as to let you off"

"You'll all die in hell anyways!" he screamed as he raised the stake and ran towards me.

Everything happened in such a blur. By the time I could see straight, my mom was laying on the ground, Coraline was crying and John was dead. When I came to my senses I realized that my mom had tried to intercept John as he was headed for me, which made him stake her, but not in the heart, in the shoulder, but she was bleeding, badly. John, I had thrown a fireball at and killed him. I suddenly felt very shaky, as if I couldn't control my hands. Coraline was over my mom trying to help her, holding her hand telling her it would be ok, that she was sorry. I ran over to where they were.

"Mom!" I yelled. I kneeled down to her, "Mom, can you hear me?" I asked.

"Yes Zoey, I hear you. I'm wounded not deaf" she cried.

"Oh mom!" I started to cry, again. I touched her face with my pale and cold fingers. She touched my hand and kissed my palm. The first intimate touch she's given me in years. Finally, my wish to finally have my mom back was given to me. It took a hard sacrifice for her, but here she was. "I'm so sorry mom"

"No Zoey, I was blind. I saw what he wanted me to see, that all things not his way was evil. I never realized that he would turn that way. What he's done here, is evil. More evil than he ever let on about Vampires"

"Coraline" I looked up at her, "Get help, go find Darius, Erik, anyone"

Coraline nodded and ran out. That's when Aphrodite, the Twins, Stevie Rae and Damien came into the dining hall. "Z, we took care of…" Aphrodite started then stopped mid sentence when she saw me crouched over my mom.

I was still crying, holding my mom, knowing that she could go at any time, not because she had a serious injury, but just from the amounts of blood she was losing. The smell of her blood was intoxicating. I was shaking just trying to regain strength to no smell it. I stopped breathing just so I wouldn't.

"Zoey, let go" Aphrodite tried to pry my fingers off my mom. "We'll take her to the infirmary with the rest of the wounded"

I looked up at her, for the first time, Aphrodite was gentle in my eyes. She always kept a hard exterior, but I knew she knew what happened. She saw it, she heard it. She felt bad for me that it came out like this. "Damien!" she yelled, "Call air to lift her mom and take her to the infirmary"

And just like that Damien called Air and asked it one request. As soft as a feather she lifted out of my lap and into the air, her arms dangling as she turned her head to look at me and stretch her good arm out to touch my face, "I love you Zoey"

"I love you too Mom" I said grabbing her fingers once more before she was lifted off to the infirmary, Damien close by.

"I'll watch over her" Damien said as he left out of the dining hall.

I stood there, in the middle of what used to be our dining hall, which was now a slaughter house, filled with lifeless bodies, vampires that were now dead or dying. The only part that scared me now was that I had no one here to tell me what to do. No one was here to help me. I had to be able to guide my prefect, my school past this. Could I do it? One thing I was sure, I had my friends. There were here, they were alive. That's all I wanted and cared about. Now what was left? Assess the damage, repair, and start again. New Beginnings were just on the horizon.


End file.
